'Business as usual' if Muhyiddin's coalition wins GE - Rafizi

Perikatan Nasional’s move to team up with 12 other parties has reignited debate over whether such alliances can deliver meaningful reform, or, in the words of Rafizi Ramli, who drew from experience, end up becoming a “business as usual” government.

Rafizi also pointed out that the outcome of the next general election also depended on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Madani administration.

“If he (Anwar) fails to manage the many controversies that arise daily and no significant change is seen in his administration, then the number of voters wanting change will exceed those wanting continuity, and the government could fall regardless of how small the coalition parties are,” he added.

As for PN’s loose coalition, the Pandan lawmaker pointed out that the real test of this coalition is not about uniting to fight Anwar, but whether it wins the next general election.

“They will need to agree on a candidate for prime minister and the cabinet ministers. They will also need to divide positions and key appointments among themselves.

“Because, behind their current unity, there is little ideological similarity binding their struggle.

“They have even attacked each other before agreeing now to ride on each other’s support,” he added in a Facebook post.

Rafizi said that a government formed by parties with such diverging paths would eventually fail to introduce new policies to help the people because each proposal would be opposed by one of the parties.

“In the end, such a government just continues with ‘business as usual’, so long as the leaders of the coalition parties get their respective rewards.

“Such has been the nature of Malaysian politics recently, and I speak from my own experience,” he said.

Although Rafizi did not elaborate, this appeared to be in reference to Pakatan Harapan’s alliances with past adversaries such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which ended after 22 months, and now Umno.

Official name soon

Previously, PN chairperson and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition would prioritise pressing concerns faced by the public, adding that its official name would be decided soon.

“We are unanimous here; not a single party leader disagrees that this is something which must be given attention and priority, including matters related to the 13th Malaysia Plan currently being tabled and debated, which fails to resolve many major issues by the government.

“We have made this our first joint decision. After this, there will be many other matters to be discussed, including with certain groups in society,” he said.

Yesterday, PSM announced that it would not join the coalition, citing discomfort with the way certain parties involved had raised ethnic issues.

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