INTERVIEW | Rais Husin is not your average politician. More comfortable in academia, the head of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s strategy and policy bureau was never extensively involved in grassroots politics during his time in Umno.

This is perhaps why he appears to get it right and is merely voicing the view of most voters when he stresses the importance for all opposition leaders to enter what he terms an “ego-free zone”.

“This is where everyone must throw away their legacies and baggage and rather than being party-centric, they must be coalition-centric.