Bersatu's centrist shift questioned after backing Dr M's ‘Malay unity' effort
Bersatu leaders such as Hamzah Zainudin and Saifuddin Abdullah have been seen to be pushing 'rather moderate' views and actions of late.
PETALING JAYA : An analyst has questioned Bersatu's sincerity in pivoting towards a more moderate and centrist political position, after lending its support to Dr Mahathir Mohamad's latest effort to supposedly restore Malay political power.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin and others like Saifuddin Abdullah have been pushing 'rather moderate' views and actions of late, following Hamzah's election as Bersatu deputy president late last year.
This included Hamzah's vision of a 'new national consensus' that goes beyond one race or religion and serves to close the gap between political and societal divisions in the country.
Mazlan said this apparent shift for Bersatu was apt given Malaysia's multiracial environment, adding that it could even pose a threat to Pakatan Harapan, which has enjoyed the bulk of non-Malay support in recent general elections.
However, he said non-Malay voters would stay away and not support PN after it lent support to Mahathir's new platform. 'People will now question whether Bersatu is sincere about bringing national reconciliation,' he told FMT.
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said it was typical of politicians to use almost contradictory tones and themes in speaking to different audiences.
As PN and Bersatu cannot afford to sacrifice its core support of Malay-Muslim voters, they would support Mahathir's new endeavour to unite the Malays, he said.
'To a Singaporean audience, and more so a reputable think tank like ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute where Bersatu's Wan Saiful Wan Jan was a visiting fellow in 2016, we would expect PN delegates to speak in quasi-liberal language, and in English to boot, making it less accessible to Malay kampung folk.
'But to a Malay-oriented audience, PN doesn't want to sacrifice its core support and will continue to support initiatives of venerable figures like Mahathir, notwithstanding the contradictions it poses,' he said.
Fauzi added that this was not dissimilar to DAP, which would have certain leaders appealing to Chinese sentiments while others who may be more Western-educated take a more centrist tone in their rhetoric.
'In short, it's simply political doublespeak characteristic of identity-driven politicians.'
Speaking at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute last month, Hamzah had unveiled PN's 'new national consensus' vision which he said must unite all Malaysians, from the political class to religious leaders and civil society.
His party colleague, Bersatu Supreme Council member Saifuddin Abdullah, had also called for political parties to shift towards a centrist approach and avoid extreme political ideologies given Malaysia's diverse society.
Saifuddin said moderation lay at the heart of Bersatu's new ideology premised on inclusivity, democracy, moderation, integrity, and compassion, adding that it reflected the party's commitment to serving all Malaysians.
Fauzi said it was important to note that Bersatu's leaders had more than one school of thought driving their ideologies, describing the likes of Saifuddin and Wan Saiful as more inclusive with 'a flair in English'.
On the other hand, he said Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and those aligned with the former prime minister were more inclined towards ethno-religious-centric politics.
'Hamzah, as front runner to succeed Muhyiddin at the helm of PN and Bersatu, treads both paths, knowing that at this juncture PN cannot afford to lose either school of thought. PN needs to appear inclusive without alienating grassroots Malay support.'
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