.JPG "PPBM chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks to reporters after the partyu00e2u20acu2122s high council meeting at Yayasan Al Bukhary February 15, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri")
KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — The suggestion from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) grassroots to leave its top three posts uncontested in internal elections may be an attempt to consolidate support in the fledgling party, political analysts have suggested.
Despite that, they cautioned that adopting such a move would be too similar to the old political culture in Bersatu’s predecessor Umno, and it would lead to members who are too subservient.
“I understand that no contest is to ensure stability within the party as it is new to the administration. In the past, not challenging the top post of a political party means said party wishes to consolidate its support and prevent excessive politicking.
“However, this is very weak reasoning. Their actions now are not in line with the aspirations of New Malaysia as we want to practise a new kind of politics that ensures capable and suitable leaders are brought forward,” said Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Jeniri Amir.
Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir recently claimed that there have been proposals from PPBM’s grassroots that his post as deputy president, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as chairman and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as president to not be contested in its inaugural party election.
In response, Jeniri said he could understand why the chairman post is not contested as Dr Mahathir would likely vacate the post within “a year or two”, but he questioned the rationale behind locking out the other two posts.
“Why are they not being contested, especially Mukhriz’s position. Why is he so special? Is there some kind of protectionism for him just because his father is the prime minister and chairman of the party?
“They need to take a risk and compete or else they will end up with a party that is filled with yes-men, a weak party,” said the professor.
Similarly, political analyst Hoo Ke Ping also suggested that the move would signal a lack of stability within the party.
“Because the party is new in power, too much dispute will rock the boat. It should be arranged,” he said.
“At this moment democracy is bad for the party as it could lead to excessive politicking and a contest for the top party post will show that Tun Dr Mahathir is not in control of the party.”
Bersatu currently have 26 MPs, 12 of whom are from former Umno MPs who joined the party within the last year.
“Nearly half of their MPs are ‘alien’, people who have not won on the PPBM ticket. At this moment, a no-contest policy for the top party post means they are in consolidation mode,” he said.
Hoo said that a no-contest policy for the top party post was a key signifier of Dr Mahathir’s tenure as Umno president, and while serving as the fourth prime minister of the country from 1981 to 2003.
He also pointed out that Dr Mahathir, who survived a 1987 Umno leadership challenge by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, had always believed that party polls without limitations could lead to the “demise of the party”.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s senior lecturer Mazlan Ali also echoed Ho’s sentiment, but pointed out that PPBM also suffers from an obvious shortage of senior political leaders.
“Many of them are still new compared to politicians like Tan Sri Muhyiddin, Datuk Seri Mukhriz, and of course, Tun Dr Mahathir who has no real parallel in the political sphere.
“There would be no real contenders and it would be unwise for a new party who is now in power to focus too much on mere politicking,” he said.
Mazlan also pointed out that despite some quarters questioning the leadership quality of Mukhriz who supposedly is riding on the strength of his father, Dr Mahathir, he said the Kedah mentri besar has performed well on his own merits.
“In any political party, the sons and daughters of senior political figures cannot escape the legacy of their parents,” he said, citing the example of Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar who has emerged from under the shadow of her father PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and mother Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“Some have suggested that Mukhriz should contest and show that he can stand on his own two feet, but he has already proven himself to be a competent politician and administrator,” he said.
Bersatu will hold its emergency general meeting on July 20.
