Knowing what separates the men from the boys

There is in sports parlance a saying that it is the last 50 metres that separates the men from the boys.

This piece of wisdom is relevant to the scene playing out as Bersama attempts to test its hypothetical strength in the upcoming Melaka polls and from there determine how it should shape up for GE16.

Properly speaking, Bersama should want to give the Melaka polls a miss, just as it did the one in Negri Sembilan where a poor showing in the earlier Johor polls caused the party to opt for a no-show barely three weeks later.

Bersama wants to contest 15 seats in Melaka, a decision that will place it in direct clashes with not only PKR but also DAP and Amanah.

This is folly.

Bersama’s forte is that it has Rafizi Ramli, the standard bearer by default of Anwar Ibrahim, of the reformasi movement.

The majority of supporters of the reformasi movement would endorse the notion that Rafizi can pick up the reins of that movement once Anwar is seen as of no more use to it.

Given that Anwar is 79 years old, the discovery about his nullity is not far off.

As there is no heir to Anwar in PKR — Nurul Izzah Anwar, for long a shaky proposition, having abruptly quit the deputy presidency and sauntered off centre stage — the focus on succession to the leadership of the reformasi movement inevitably shifts to Rafizi.

But he and Bersama will do themselves no favours by alienating reformasi supporters within the Pakatan Harapan (PH) fold.

The PH combine of PKR, DAP and Amanah is the core of the reformasi movement.

True, it has withered on the vine from the time Bersatu departed its fold in February 2020 and were joined by a batch of PKR dissidents led by Azmin Ali.

But the nucleus of the movement can regather and raise its banner once again.

Rafizi is best equipped for the role because of his analytical acuity and his penchant for simplifying complex problems and explaining them to the public.

But Rafizi should be wary of hubris; he knows a lot but shouldn’t think he knows it all.

Bersama should focus on what it conceivably can win in GE16.

This is the 10 or so parliamentary seats, from the 31 seats PKR won in GE15.

Presently, four to six of the seats are held by PKR dissidents favouring Rafizi and another four to six seats are occupied by MPs just biding their time in the party and awaiting the dissolution of Parliament to declare themselves for Bersama.

Being returned in those seats in GE16 will be Bersama’s biggest challenge.

If Bersama acquits itself of this challenge, it will be a big boost to Rafizi and his suitability to resurrect the fallen banner of reformasi.

At all costs, Bersama should avoid a scenario where in its quest to bite off more than it can chew, the party splits votes that would have gone to PKR, DAP or Amanah.

This will allow Umno or PAS to gain.

Both parties are not exactly opposed to the reformasi agenda but they are not keen on it either.

Bersama ought to avoid their deserved rise to prominence in the national political landscape be it at the expense of parties that belong to the broad coalition supportive of economic and institutional reform of the country.

A nuanced recognition of these realities separates the men from the boys in the struggle for reform.

Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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