Latest news with #MalaysianPolitics
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Independent
'Quite frightening': Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 without slowing down
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad marked a historic milestone as he turned 100 on Thursday, calling the moment 'quite frightening' without showing signs of slowing down. A towering figure in Malaysian politics, Mahathir is known for his transformative and at times controversial leadership. First serving as the nation's fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003, and then returning as its seventh from 2018 to 2020, Mahathir has been the country's longest-serving and oldest-serving prime minister. Despite the weight of the century mark, Mahathir remains remarkably active. After birthday wishes from his family, he turned up early for work at his Putrajaya office in his signature safari suit. "I'd like to thank all those who sent cakes, flowers, letters and for turning up to wish me a happy 100th birthday. To be 100 is quite frightening,' he said in a special live podcast to mark the occasion. During the podcast, Mahathir also reflected on key moments in Malaysia's history, voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people and spoke about the rise of China. Mahathir, who previously attributed his longevity to neither smoking nor overeating and exercising his brain, also offered personal insights on aging. Although he has a history of heart disease, including two bypass surgeries, Mahathir said staying mentally and physically active has kept him going. 'I have always been active. I cannot understand people wanting to rest. I mean, you take a holiday, you do something, you go on a holiday that is doing something. But some people retire, and they want to rest. What is the meaning of rest? You do nothing?' he said. 'So long as I can function, I want to function. I want to behave almost as if I am not getting old. I try to live the same life that I lived when I was younger. I work, I come to the office, I attend functions and all that. And I think being active is what keeps me alive,' he added. Mahathir acknowledged he was fortunate not to have been struck by any fatal diseases. 'I didnt make an effort to live this long but I look after my health," he said, describing his milestone birthday as just a 'normal day.' During his first 22-year term, Malaysia transformed into a modern economy, but Mahathir used stifling political control to hold power and silence dissent. He came out of retirement to challenge his former party over a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, forming an alliance with old foes that produced a 2018 election victory hailed as a triumph for democracy. When he returned to power at age 92, he was hailed as a hero who ousted a corrupt government and led Malaysia's first opposition victory since independence from Britain in 1957. But that aura wore off. His government collapsed during infighting after just 22 months and in opposition Mahathir became a divisive voice advocating Malay supremacy, working with an Islamist party he had long denounced. After his birthday podcast, Mahathir met more well-wishers at his office. While there was no grand celebration, staff brought out a small cake and sang a birthday song, his aide Sufi Yusoff said. True to form, Mahathir ended the moment with his trademark discipline: 'Ok, back to work!'
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
'Quite frightening': Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 without slowing down
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad marked a historic milestone as he turned 100 on Thursday, calling the moment 'quite frightening' without showing signs of slowing down. A towering figure in Malaysian politics, Mahathir is known for his transformative and at times controversial leadership. First serving as the nation's fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003, and then returning as its seventh from 2018 to 2020, Mahathir has been the country's longest-serving and oldest-serving prime minister.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Associated Press
‘Quite frightening': Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 without slowing down
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad marked a historic milestone as he turned 100 on Thursday, calling the moment 'quite frightening' without showing signs of slowing down. A towering figure in Malaysian politics, Mahathir is known for his transformative and at times controversial leadership. First serving as the nation's fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003, and then returning as its seventh from 2018 to 2020, Mahathir has been the country's longest-serving and oldest-serving prime minister. Despite the weight of the century mark, Mahathir remains remarkably active. After birthday wishes from his family, he turned up early for work at his Putrajaya office in his signature safari suit. 'I'd like to thank all those who sent cakes, flowers, letters and for turning up to wish me a happy 100th birthday. To be 100 is quite frightening,' he said in a special live podcast to mark the occasion. During the podcast, Mahathir also reflected on key moments in Malaysia's history, voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people and spoke about the rise of China. Mahathir, who previously attributed his longevity to neither smoking nor overeating and exercising his brain, also offered personal insights on aging. Although he has a history of heart disease, including two bypass surgeries, Mahathir said staying mentally and physically active has kept him going. 'I have always been active. I cannot understand people wanting to rest. I mean, you take a holiday, you do something, you go on a holiday that is doing something. But some people retire, and they want to rest. What is the meaning of rest? You do nothing?' he said. 'So long as I can function, I want to function. I want to behave almost as if I am not getting old. I try to live the same life that I lived when I was younger. I work, I come to the office, I attend functions and all that. And I think being active is what keeps me alive,' he added. Mahathir acknowledged he was fortunate not to have been struck by any fatal diseases. 'I didnt make an effort to live this long but I look after my health,' he said, describing his milestone birthday as just a 'normal day.' During his first 22-year term, Malaysia transformed into a modern economy, but Mahathir used stifling political control to hold power and silence dissent. He came out of retirement to challenge his former party over a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, forming an alliance with old foes that produced a 2018 election victory hailed as a triumph for democracy. When he returned to power at age 92, he was hailed as a hero who ousted a corrupt government and led Malaysia's first opposition victory since independence from Britain in 1957. But that aura wore off. His government collapsed during infighting after just 22 months and in opposition Mahathir became a divisive voice advocating Malay supremacy, working with an Islamist party he had long denounced. After his birthday podcast, Mahathir met more well-wishers at his office. While there was no grand celebration, staff brought out a small cake and sang a birthday song, his aide Sufi Yusoff said. True to form, Mahathir ended the moment with his trademark discipline: 'Ok, back to work!'
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Raf for now: Don't look back in anger!
JUNE 19 — It only took 70 years to get here. Not sure it'll last, but for now, it's real. In Malaysian mainstream politics when top positions are vied for in major parties, incumbents when defeated depart in the worst possible way. So much so, within parties, the cautionary tale is that leadership battles can end the party. Which is why, the decision by Rafizi Ramli post-defeat to stick around has major significance. All the way from Tengku Razaleigh vs Mahathir Mohamad in 1987 to Anwar Ibrahim vs Ghafar Baba in 1993. Even further back, in 1951, Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid replaced exiting Onn Jaffar. Over in PKR, the ambitious left when defeated even if not the incumbent. In 2018, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar chose to stay in Umno after losing the presidential race to challenge Zahid Hamidi, but it was low stakes. It was less than two months after Umno lost national power, and incumbent Najib Razak with mounting legal cases opted out. Zahid till then was only deputy president picked by Najib after the tumultuous sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin. Long story short, Malaysian politics never matured to the point it was OK to lose an internal election and stay put. Acrimony accompanies open contests. The key premise which is unspoken is that members are pawns with no agency except to follow leaders. Leaders manage utilising backroom deals among the elites. Which is what repulsed Rafizi that a leadership decision to deny members the right to pick a president and deputy president was ignored by a substantial number of leaders to knock him off his perch. The man who rather less democracy can now champion more democracy in the party. Despite the trouncing by no less than the president's daughter after a single term, Rafizi pledges to be a party man. But not as minister, just a backbencher. Also, he moonlights as a podcaster and promises to be all fire and brimstone. Free of governmental roles, he is Rafizi Unchained. His vanquisher Nurul Izzah Anwar is warned. Rafizi may offer a new kind of competitive politics. He rebranded his old restrained Yang Bakar Menteri (He who grills ministers), to a more nuclear Yang Berhenti Menteri (The unchained minister). While it is cute to keep the YBM abbreviation, it is not exactly a leap forward, is it? To define oneself as what you were, rather than what you aspire to be. The people want to be inspired, well at least his supporters want to lift him up. YBM is less Malay Dilemma and more of a derivative of Khairy's Keluar Sekejap (Temporarily out). But what is in a name? Based on public perception, a lot apparently. Nevertheless, his platform can transform local politics because it is from a senior politician from the party heading the national unity government. He has personally known the prime minister since he was an adolescent and worked closely with him. Khairy speaks about his experience weighed against developments, Rafizi can speak about current developments intimately and intimate truths. And pals like Chang Lih Kang and Akmal Nasir serve inside the administration. He also gets to attend Parliament for the next two years. News, not hearsay, gets to him fast. So, he'll draw a crowd. Which brings us to his nemesis and now in the spotlight, Nurul Izzah. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? — Bernama pic Cricket, lads They will knock heads, that's totally expected. However, Rafizi's decision to stay deserves applause. Malaysia deserves to rise above pettiness. So too does Nurul Izzah, for not disparaging her predecessor and claiming there is space for all inside the party. Her ability to narrate an emergence separate from her father is also an attraction; handled wrongly, a distraction. Where does it leave PKR? The path to parties of ideologies, rather than parties of personalities, is through the corridor of open disputation. Parties are dull and lack meaning without dissent. Politics is adversarial by design. How can better ideas elevate to the top without examination by those most vocally against them? The thing to ask for is fairness in the proceedings. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? Staying in lane In the last 10 years, our politics after the end of the Barisan Nasional's monopoly has been about parties finding their sweet spot. PAS was assumed to be the walking wounded after a painful split with Pakatan Rakyat leading to the 2018 General Election. Them just being PAS, without any modern ideas, just a religious conviction appeased a base which was not over-enamoured by modern ideas and submits willingly to religion as the basis of government, and did not appreciate premature eulogies for the party. They emerged with more seats than they did previously with Pakatan. The Borneo parties in varying speeds have accelerated to the singular position that state dignity is only possible through state parties. The results and the continued conversion of politicians back the premise. Bersatu sticks to 'we are more puritanical about our race politics than everyone else' as a selling point but as leaders abandon the cause, they may not regain a pulse without artificial resuscitation. Umno, MCA and MIC are at sea. They have their ageing supporters but no fresh take. DAP refuses to let go of Chinese chauvinism no matter how tantalising an alternate reality is to their core leaders. All of them, at best, hold on to their DNA with no apology. Principles are nice and exclusion is deplorable, but power is nicest and do turn away when people point out your hypocrisy, is the persisting belief in Malaysian politics. 'When they go low, we go high' The line associated with former first lady Michelle Obama, might just be the ticket for PKR. At least with this new Rafizi and Nurul Izzah dynamics. Rather than find a racial, religious or regional niche to thrive, PKR can resist the trite and use the presence of dissension inside the party to advertise the party being the first to join the evolution of Malaysian politics. The tests are almost here. Rafizi as former economics minister has much to say about the SST in motion and the retreat from measures to end subsidies. He is bound to say the prime minister should reconsider. The new deputy president, even when looking in from the outside, must back the PM and his Cabinet. The how it manages clashes of ideas is how PKR can demonstrate to all Malaysians, it is indeed going higher. The stage is set, however all you read is theory for now. The how is completely in their hands. I fear the past may overwhelm them and they too revert to type, to niches. That they wash their hands rather than guide members to better. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
Malay Mail
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Raf for now: Don't look back in anger!
Raf for now: Don't look back in anger! JUNE 19 — It only took 70 years to get here. Not sure it'll last, but for now, it's real. In Malaysian mainstream politics when top positions are vied for in major parties, incumbents when defeated depart in the worst possible way. So much so, within parties, the cautionary tale is that leadership battles can end the party. Which is why, the decision by Rafizi Ramli post-defeat to stick around has major significance. All the way from Tengku Razaleigh vs Mahathir Mohamad in 1987 to Anwar Ibrahim vs Ghafar Baba in 1993. Even further back, in 1951, Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid replaced exiting Onn Jaffar. Over in PKR, the ambitious left when defeated even if not the incumbent. In 2018, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar chose to stay in Umno after losing the presidential race to challenge Zahid Hamidi, but it was low stakes. It was less than two months after Umno lost national power, and incumbent Najib Razak with mounting legal cases opted out. Zahid till then was only deputy president picked by Najib after the tumultuous sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin. Long story short, Malaysian politics never matured to the point it was OK to lose an internal election and stay put. Acrimony accompanies open contests. The key premise which is unspoken is that members are pawns with no agency except to follow leaders. Leaders manage utilising backroom deals among the elites. Which is what repulsed Rafizi that a leadership decision to deny members the right to pick a president and deputy president was ignored by a substantial number of leaders to knock him off his perch. The man who rather less democracy can now champion more democracy in the party. Despite the trouncing by no less than the president's daughter after a single term, Rafizi pledges to be a party man. But not as minister, just a backbencher. Also, he moonlights as a podcaster and promises to be all fire and brimstone. Free of governmental roles, he is Rafizi Unchained. His vanquisher Nurul Izzah Anwar is warned. Rafizi may offer a new kind of competitive politics. He rebranded his old restrained Yang Bakar Menteri (He who grills ministers), to a more nuclear Yang Berhenti Menteri (The unchained minister). While it is cute to keep the YBM abbreviation, it is not exactly a leap forward, is it? To define oneself as what you were, rather than what you aspire to be. The people want to be inspired, well at least his supporters want to lift him up. YBM is less Malay Dilemma and more of a derivative of Khairy's Keluar Sekejap (Temporarily out). [ news/malaysia/2025/06/17/ rafizi-to-burn-and-enlighten- in-new-podcast-after-stepping- down-as-economy-minister/ 180711] But what is in a name? Based on public perception, a lot apparently. Nevertheless, his platform can transform local politics because it is from a senior politician from the party heading the national unity government. He has personally known the prime minister since he was an adolescent and worked closely with him. Khairy speaks about his experience weighed against developments, Rafizi can speak about current developments intimately and intimate truths. And pals like Chang Lih Kang and Akmal Nasir serve inside the administration. He also gets to attend Parliament for the next two years. News, not hearsay, gets to him fast. So, he'll draw a crowd. Which brings us to his nemesis and now in the spotlight, Nurul Izzah. Cricket, lads They will knock heads, that's totally expected. However, Rafizi's decision to stay deserves applause. Malaysia deserves to rise above pettiness. So too does Nurul Izzah, for not disparaging her predecessor and claiming there is space for all inside the party. Her ability to narrate an emergence separate from her father is also an attraction; handled wrongly, a distraction. Where does it leave PKR? The path to parties of ideologies, rather than parties of personalities, is through the corridor of open disputation. Parties are dull and lack meaning without dissent. Politics is adversarial by design. How can better ideas elevate to the top without examination by those most vocally against them? The thing to ask for is fairness in the proceedings. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? Staying in lane In the last 10 years, our politics after the end of the Barisan Nasional's monopoly has been about parties finding their sweet spot. PAS was assumed to be the walking wounded after a painful split with Pakatan Rakyat leading to the 2018 General Election. Them just being PAS, without any modern ideas, just a religious conviction appeased a base which was not over-enamoured by modern ideas and submits willingly to religion as the basis of government, and did not appreciate premature eulogies for the party. They emerged with more seats than they did previously with Pakatan. The Borneo parties in varying speeds have accelerated to the singular position that state dignity is only possible through state parties. The results and the continued conversion of politicians back the premise. Bersatu sticks to "we are more puritanical about our race politics than everyone else" as a selling point but as leaders abandon the cause, they may not regain a pulse without artificial resuscitation. Umno, MCA and MIC are at sea. They have their ageing supporters but no fresh take. DAP refuses to let go of Chinese chauvinism no matter how tantalising an alternate reality is to their core leaders. All of them, at best, hold on to their DNA with no apology. Principles are nice and exclusion is deplorable, but power is nicest and do turn away when people point out your hypocrisy, is the persisting belief in Malaysian politics. 'When they go low, we go high' The line associated with former first lady Michelle Obama, might just be the ticket for PKR. At least with this new Rafizi and Nurul Izzah dynamics. Rather than find a racial, religious or regional niche to thrive, PKR can resist the trite and use the presence of dissension inside the party to advertise the party being the first to join the evolution of Malaysian politics. The tests are almost here. Rafizi as former economics minister has much to say about the SST in motion and the retreat from measures to end subsidies. He is bound to say the prime minister should reconsider. The new deputy president, even when looking in from the outside, must back the PM and his Cabinet. The how it manages clashes of ideas is how PKR can demonstrate to all Malaysians, it is indeed going higher. The stage is set, however all you read is theory for now. The how is completely in their hands. I fear the past may overwhelm them and they too revert to type, to niches. That they wash their hands rather than guide members to better. Raf for now: Don't look back in anger! JUNE 19 — It only took 70 years to get here. Not sure it'll last, but for now, it's real. In Malaysian mainstream politics when top positions are vied for in major parties, incumbents when defeated depart in the worst possible way. So much so, within parties, the cautionary tale is that leadership battles can end the party. Which is why, the decision by Rafizi Ramli post-defeat to stick around has major significance. All the way from Tengku Razaleigh vs Mahathir Mohamad in 1987 to Anwar Ibrahim vs Ghafar Baba in 1993. Even further back, in 1951, Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid replaced exiting Onn Jaffar. Over in PKR, the ambitious left when defeated even if not the incumbent. In 2018, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar chose to stay in Umno after losing the presidential race to challenge Zahid Hamidi, but it was low stakes. It was less than two months after Umno lost national power, and incumbent Najib Razak with mounting legal cases opted out. Zahid till then was only deputy president picked by Najib after the tumultuous sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin. Long story short, Malaysian politics never matured to the point it was OK to lose an internal election and stay put. Acrimony accompanies open contests. The key premise which is unspoken is that members are pawns with no agency except to follow leaders. Leaders manage utilising backroom deals among the elites. Which is what repulsed Rafizi that a leadership decision to deny members the right to pick a president and deputy president was ignored by a substantial number of leaders to knock him off his perch. The man who rather less democracy can now champion more democracy in the party. Despite the trouncing by no less than the president's daughter after a single term, Rafizi pledges to be a party man. But not as minister, just a backbencher. Also, he moonlights as a podcaster and promises to be all fire and brimstone. Free of governmental roles, he is Rafizi Unchained. His vanquisher Nurul Izzah Anwar is warned. Rafizi may offer a new kind of competitive politics. He rebranded his old restrained Yang Bakar Menteri (He who grills ministers), to a more nuclear Yang Berhenti Menteri (The unchained minister). While it is cute to keep the YBM abbreviation, it is not exactly a leap forward, is it? To define oneself as what you were, rather than what you aspire to be. The people want to be inspired, well at least his supporters want to lift him up. YBM is less Malay Dilemma and more of a derivative of Khairy's Keluar Sekejap (Temporarily out). [ news/malaysia/2025/06/17/ rafizi-to-burn-and-enlighten- in-new-podcast-after-stepping- down-as-economy-minister/ 180711] But what is in a name? Based on public perception, a lot apparently. Nevertheless, his platform can transform local politics because it is from a senior politician from the party heading the national unity government. He has personally known the prime minister since he was an adolescent and worked closely with him. Khairy speaks about his experience weighed against developments, Rafizi can speak about current developments intimately and intimate truths. And pals like Chang Lih Kang and Akmal Nasir serve inside the administration. He also gets to attend Parliament for the next two years. News, not hearsay, gets to him fast. So, he'll draw a crowd. Which brings us to his nemesis and now in the spotlight, Nurul Izzah. Cricket, lads They will knock heads, that's totally expected. However, Rafizi's decision to stay deserves applause. Malaysia deserves to rise above pettiness. So too does Nurul Izzah, for not disparaging her predecessor and claiming there is space for all inside the party. Her ability to narrate an emergence separate from her father is also an attraction; handled wrongly, a distraction. Where does it leave PKR? The path to parties of ideologies, rather than parties of personalities, is through the corridor of open disputation. Parties are dull and lack meaning without dissent. Politics is adversarial by design. How can better ideas elevate to the top without examination by those most vocally against them? The thing to ask for is fairness in the proceedings. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? Staying in lane In the last 10 years, our politics after the end of the Barisan Nasional's monopoly has been about parties finding their sweet spot. PAS was assumed to be the walking wounded after a painful split with Pakatan Rakyat leading to the 2018 General Election. Them just being PAS, without any modern ideas, just a religious conviction appeased a base which was not over-enamoured by modern ideas and submits willingly to religion as the basis of government, and did not appreciate premature eulogies for the party. They emerged with more seats than they did previously with Pakatan. The Borneo parties in varying speeds have accelerated to the singular position that state dignity is only possible through state parties. The results and the continued conversion of politicians back the premise. Bersatu sticks to "we are more puritanical about our race politics than everyone else" as a selling point but as leaders abandon the cause, they may not regain a pulse without artificial resuscitation. Umno, MCA and MIC are at sea. They have their ageing supporters but no fresh take. DAP refuses to let go of Chinese chauvinism no matter how tantalising an alternate reality is to their core leaders. All of them, at best, hold on to their DNA with no apology. Principles are nice and exclusion is deplorable, but power is nicest and do turn away when people point out your hypocrisy, is the persisting belief in Malaysian politics. 'When they go low, we go high' The line associated with former first lady Michelle Obama, might just be the ticket for PKR. At least with this new Rafizi and Nurul Izzah dynamics. Rather than find a racial, religious or regional niche to thrive, PKR can resist the trite and use the presence of dissension inside the party to advertise the party being the first to join the evolution of Malaysian politics. The tests are almost here. Rafizi as former economics minister has much to say about the SST in motion and the retreat from measures to end subsidies. He is bound to say the prime minister should reconsider. The new deputy president, even when looking in from the outside, must back the PM and his Cabinet. The how it manages clashes of ideas is how PKR can demonstrate to all Malaysians, it is indeed going higher. The stage is set, however all you read is theory for now. The how is completely in their hands. I fear the past may overwhelm them and they too revert to type, to niches. That they wash their hands rather than guide members to better. JUNE 19 — It only took 70 years to get here. Not sure it'll last, but for now, it's real. In Malaysian mainstream politics when top positions are vied for in major parties, incumbents when defeated depart in the worst possible way. So much so, within parties, the cautionary tale is that leadership battles can end the party. Which is why, the decision by Rafizi Ramli post-defeat to stick around has major significance. All the way from Tengku Razaleigh vs Mahathir Mohamad in 1987 to Anwar Ibrahim vs Ghafar Baba in 1993. Even further back, in 1951, Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid replaced exiting Onn Jaffar. Over in PKR, the ambitious left when defeated even if not the incumbent. In 2018, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar chose to stay in Umno after losing the presidential race to challenge Zahid Hamidi, but it was low stakes. It was less than two months after Umno lost national power, and incumbent Najib Razak with mounting legal cases opted out. Zahid till then was only deputy president picked by Najib after the tumultuous sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin. Long story short, Malaysian politics never matured to the point it was OK to lose an internal election and stay put. Acrimony accompanies open contests. The key premise which is unspoken is that members are pawns with no agency except to follow leaders. Leaders manage utilising backroom deals among the elites. Which is what repulsed Rafizi that a leadership decision to deny members the right to pick a president and deputy president was ignored by a substantial number of leaders to knock him off his perch. The man who rather less democracy can now champion more democracy in the party. Despite the trouncing by no less than the president's daughter after a single term, Rafizi pledges to be a party man. But not as minister, just a backbencher. Also, he moonlights as a podcaster and promises to be all fire and brimstone. Free of governmental roles, he is Rafizi Unchained. His vanquisher Nurul Izzah Anwar is warned. Rafizi may offer a new kind of competitive politics. He rebranded his old restrained Yang Bakar Menteri (He who grills ministers), to a more nuclear Yang Berhenti Menteri (The unchained minister). While it is cute to keep the YBM abbreviation, it is not exactly a leap forward, is it? To define oneself as what you were, rather than what you aspire to be. The people want to be inspired, well at least his supporters want to lift him up. YBM is less Malay Dilemma and more of a derivative of Khairy's Keluar Sekejap (Temporarily out). But what is in a name? Based on public perception, a lot apparently. Nevertheless, his platform can transform local politics because it is from a senior politician from the party heading the national unity government. He has personally known the prime minister since he was an adolescent and worked closely with him. Khairy speaks about his experience weighed against developments, Rafizi can speak about current developments intimately and intimate truths. And pals like Chang Lih Kang and Akmal Nasir serve inside the administration. He also gets to attend Parliament for the next two years. News, not hearsay, gets to him fast. So, he'll draw a crowd. Which brings us to his nemesis and now in the spotlight, Nurul Izzah. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? — Bernama pic Cricket, lads They will knock heads, that's totally expected. However, Rafizi's decision to stay deserves applause. Malaysia deserves to rise above pettiness. So too does Nurul Izzah, for not disparaging her predecessor and claiming there is space for all inside the party. Her ability to narrate an emergence separate from her father is also an attraction; handled wrongly, a distraction. Where does it leave PKR? The path to parties of ideologies, rather than parties of personalities, is through the corridor of open disputation. Parties are dull and lack meaning without dissent. Politics is adversarial by design. How can better ideas elevate to the top without examination by those most vocally against them? The thing to ask for is fairness in the proceedings. Can Rafizi provoke broader discussions and can Nurul Izzah and those inside, lead and take on the better thoughts from her party opponent, clearly both have 2028 in mind when the party president post is vacant? Staying in lane In the last 10 years, our politics after the end of the Barisan Nasional's monopoly has been about parties finding their sweet spot. PAS was assumed to be the walking wounded after a painful split with Pakatan Rakyat leading to the 2018 General Election. Them just being PAS, without any modern ideas, just a religious conviction appeased a base which was not over-enamoured by modern ideas and submits willingly to religion as the basis of government, and did not appreciate premature eulogies for the party. They emerged with more seats than they did previously with Pakatan. The Borneo parties in varying speeds have accelerated to the singular position that state dignity is only possible through state parties. The results and the continued conversion of politicians back the premise. Bersatu sticks to "we are more puritanical about our race politics than everyone else" as a selling point but as leaders abandon the cause, they may not regain a pulse without artificial resuscitation. Umno, MCA and MIC are at sea. They have their ageing supporters but no fresh take. DAP refuses to let go of Chinese chauvinism no matter how tantalising an alternate reality is to their core leaders. All of them, at best, hold on to their DNA with no apology. Principles are nice and exclusion is deplorable, but power is nicest and do turn away when people point out your hypocrisy, is the persisting belief in Malaysian politics. 'When they go low, we go high' The line associated with former first lady Michelle Obama, might just be the ticket for PKR. At least with this new Rafizi and Nurul Izzah dynamics. Rather than find a racial, religious or regional niche to thrive, PKR can resist the trite and use the presence of dissension inside the party to advertise the party being the first to join the evolution of Malaysian politics. The tests are almost here. Rafizi as former economics minister has much to say about the SST in motion and the retreat from measures to end subsidies. He is bound to say the prime minister should reconsider. The new deputy president, even when looking in from the outside, must back the PM and his Cabinet. The how it manages clashes of ideas is how PKR can demonstrate to all Malaysians, it is indeed going higher. The stage is set, however all you read is theory for now. The how is completely in their hands. I fear the past may overwhelm them and they too revert to type, to niches. That they wash their hands rather than guide members to better.
