JUNE 24 — One by one the component parties abandoned the Barisan Nasional (BN) ship, taking precautionary measures before the ship hit an iceberg. The BN parties that were the first to leave were from Sabah; Sarawak soon followed suit, announcing their intention to form a ‘Gabungan Parti Sarawak’ coalition.

This week, Gerakan, or the Malaysian People’s Movement Party, became the latest to leave the coalition, with its Central Committee noting that it needed to chart a new political trajectory for an inclusive Malaysia. May 9 was that watershed moment for them.

However, as will be explained below, this political trajectory should ideally not be "new” but rather a return to the party’s original mission of multiracialism and critiquing the policies of the ruling government if there should be a need. The fact that the party did not win a single parliament or state seat is a good opportunity for it to do some soul-searching.

Gerakan’s journey comes around in full circle. It was founded in 1968 as an opposition party not affiliated to the then Alliance Party, what is now Barisan Nasional. Its breakthrough came in 1969 when it won most of the seats (16 out of 24) in Penang’s state legislature, in addition to making significant gains in Perak and Selangor. Among the founders of the party were the late Syed Hussein Alatas, who, with the other founders, ran in the 1969 elections campaigning for the reduction of Bumiputera privilieges and the fight for social justice. With regards to the latter, Gerakan maintained a strong stance against political corruption that would compromise the well-being of Malaysians. Social justice also meant that political parties on both ends of the spectrum had to have a common vision for the country, even if they did not see eye to eye. Syed Hussein Alatas himself emphasized that an opposition party was not simply a tool used to oppose the ruling government for the sake of opposition but rather to provide a check-and-balance to the government. If the ruling government was doing good for the country, it should be praised, even from the oppostion. If it was not fulfilling the needs of its citizens, then its policies ought to be criticized. In keeping with its multi-racial stance, the party’s first Central Committee comprised of six Malays, six Chinese and three Indians, as opposed to the racial composition today where a strong majority of the party are Chinese. Gerakan was a party created to serve all races.

Disputes over short and long-term aspirations would soon create rifts within the party. Another of its founders, Tun Dato’ Seri Dr. Lim Chong Eu, felt that cooperation with the Alliance Party was necessary so that the party could deliver on its promised economic projects with the help of financial assistance from the latter. A few members of Gerakan felt this move betrayed the party’s position against UMNO’s race-based politics. Eventually, in 1972, Gerakan joined the Alliance Party, with the its members such as Syed Hussein Alatas leaving to form the left-wing Parti Keadilan Masyarakat Malaysia (PEKEMAS). Some four decades later, steering away from its multi-racial ideals seems to have cost Gerakan, registering significant losses in the 2008 general election and of course the one this year.

For now, Gerakan can only serve as an independent opposition party as a monitor to check Pakatan Harapan, simply because it does not have any seats in parliament. A return to its early glory days would require its elite leaders to rethink how it can serve the country in a way that upholds its vision of multiracialism and social justice. Th 9^th of May was a turning point for many, Malaysians and non-Malaysians alike. Gerakan would do well to go back to the drawing board and recapture the ideals of its six founding members. The future of Gerakan lies in Gerakan’s hands; it is up to them if they want to represent the voice of multiracialism and progressive politics as they intended in 1968. Where Gerakan sought to assume the role of a political counterweight against sectarian politics in 1968, it can still do the same today.

*This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.