IT is still early days for us to be definitive of what the future has in store for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
Although its chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has said the party is able to replace Umno as the “protector” of Malays, we are perhaps a little ahead of time. Time will tell, eventually.
Created solely to remove former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from office, what happens to PPBM now that it has achieved it?
Political pundits say if no immediate action is taken to formulate “a new struggle”, so to speak, PPBM may end up being just a cog in the wheel of Pakatan Harapan in the next three to five years. PPBM has no choice. It needs to strengthen the party in order to be an equal partner in PH.
As of now, PPBM only has 12 parliamentary seats against PKR’s 48 and DAP’s 42.
There are rumblings at the PPBM grassroots, with many starting to wonder what will happen once PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim takes over as prime minister, a move that will dilute the influence of Dr Mahathir in the coalition.
Political analyst Dr Muhammad Fuad Othman says it is vital for PPBM to strengthen the party now while Dr Mahathir is prime minister.
“PPBM does not have much followers; it is important that it makes the move fast.
“You can slowly see that many Umno members are jumping over to PPBM. Although they may not be division chiefs, they are from the second and third rungs, full of potential and experience.
“If PPBM sits on recruitment any longer, it will be very detrimental to the party. They need to go on a membership drive to expedite things,” he says.
In his view, PPBM needs to evolve beyond Malay rights because the party needs to strike a balance between championing an Umno-like group and a more progressive, middle of the road kind.
It may be a giant step for newly-born PPBM, but it is a necessary one for the party to embark on
if it wants a long future in Malaysian politics. Multi-racial politics may prove to be a big challenge for the infant party with many ex-Umno members.
Many from PPBM’s Youth wing too want the party to be something more than an alternative to Umno. And, this is the moment for the party to shape and nurture it. They feel PPBM must seize the moment before it passes.
“The party leaders are not utilising the momentum they have right now to their advantage,” one PPBM Youth member from the south said.
The timing could not be more perfect with many, be they living in rural areas or city centres, still on the fence.
Post-Umno election results and its Supreme Council appointments have left many disappointed. The general feeling is that Umno as a party is not receptive to the efforts of many to save it from sinking. Old habits die hard, the disappointed seem to be saying.
A former Umno member who had just joined PPBM says all the captain and his men have to do is show them the way.
“Just show us the direction and we will follow… We can’t continue being an Umno alternative.”
Dr Mahathir is busy running the country, while PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is home minister, is taking a break and recuperating from surgery. The deputy president, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, meanwhile, is busy governing Kedah.
Perhaps PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman may just be the right man to bring in members while party elders draw up the vision and roadmap for the party. He is young, fresh and approachable. Boys and girls love him, while the seniors admire his young energy and spirit.
But is he up to the task?
A safe answer would be yes, but building an infant party’s grassroots support is no easy task.
People are spoilt for choice now and they need to be persuaded to choose PPBM over the other parties. A veteran Umno party member, who is now with PPBM, says: “Joining an all-Malay or Bumiputera party might not be top of their list.
“People are more open nowadays; Malays know they can survive in multi-racial parties. PKR, DAP and Gerakan welcome all races, thus why should they settle for PPBM or Umno?” he says.
Strengthening a party requires a lot of ground work and once the people accept the party’s struggle, members on the ground will grow on its own.
In a bid to do so, PPBM needs to ensure their party meetings and elections run smoothly and fairly.
Would you choose to be in the situation PPBM is in or Umno?
Perhaps it is better to be in a situation that PPBM is in and be able to chart a new course rather than to be in Umno’s position, trying to fix a party which is bruised.
Tasnim Lokman is a journalist with NST