The new political party set to feature former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not weaken the opposition, said pundit Wong Chin Huat.

The Penang Institute fellow said this is because the new party would attract those who are against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, but don’t like the existing opposition parties either.

“Many people make the assumption all voters who reject Najib can converge and pull their support together.

“Reality may be far from this. Amanah may be too new for the Umno rebels, while DAP is ideologically too different.

“Meanwhile, joining Anwarites’ PKR would be too much a climb-down for them,” Wong told Malaysiakini.

However, he said the party must take care not to just be an anti-Najib party.

The people, he said, want to know what will happen in a post-Najib climate, and Mahathir could set the agenda for that.

“He needs to take the bull by the horns by finding effective policy for Malay empowerment.

“Now, the New Economic Policy (NEP) is so much a failure to improve social-upward mobility amongst the Malays and bumiputeras, but many fear the uncertainty when Umno is finally ousted.”

Wong said the party can be successful as Mahathir still has a lot of influence.

He added that this did not shine earlier during the Save Malaysia campaign because his lieutenants, including his own son Mukhriz and the other Umno rebels, lacked the resolve to fight Umno in hopes of remaining within the party.

He also said the party should have been formed earlier, such as before the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

“This is late, but it’s never too late,” Wong said.

Semangat 46 repeat?

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya professor Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the party might have an impact now, but might end up just like Semangat 46, the Umno splinter group that opposed Mahathir.

“When Mahathir and Muhyiddin Yassin become less active, then the party will decay in the future.

“I believe in the end, the Umno leaders after Najib will negotiate with this new party for them to return to Umno as had happened with Semangat 46,” Awang Azman said.

The formation of this new party is slated to be discussed this evening at a meeting between Umno rebels and opposition leaders at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya.