Courting the Third Force — Othman Wahab
The Third Force has been on the lips of many over the past month with most people dismissing it as an attempt to derail Pakatan Rakyat from taking over the government in the 13th general election.
Perhaps that is true although Messrs Raja Petra Kamarudin and Haris Mohamed Ibrahim have an affection for PKR if their support in March 2008 is anything to go by.
I think they are just disappointed with the few in PKR who have embarrassed and nullified the momentum of the 2008 “political tsunami”.
They still share the same sentiments of the politicians who share the informal umbrella called Pakatan Rakyat. A clean government, equality for all and hope for a better Malaysia.
So, it’s strange that PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak is suggesting that these dissatisfied Third Force fellows can join Barisan Nasional as associate or direct members.
“They can become associate members, affiliate members (of BN) and so on. We are open and inclusive in our attitude to draw more people to Barisan and Umno,” he said, according to a Bernama report in The Malaysian Insider.
The report said he denied that Barisan Nasional was allowing direct membership because it was hard pressed to find second-line leaders.
Well, Mr PM. Are you sure you have such leaders that you don’t need the Third Force selection of candidates.
What is even strange is that you think they want or can fit in with the Barisan Nasional philosophy.
They don’t believe in the “social contract” or the New Economic Policy that seems to be the spine of Umno and Barisan Nasional.
Would you agree with them just so that you can score political points against PKR?
The Third Force is a reaction to the PKR leadership that seems to be a victim of its own success. And PKR is a reaction to Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking from Umno. There is no circular logic that two wrongs make a right.
Not in politics anyway that the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Mr PM, please rethink what you said today. Don’t get caught up with the idea of winning at all costs that you will just take anybody into your fold.
That was PKR’s mistake. And the main grumble of the Third Force that is now offering its selection of screened candidates to PKR. Not to Umno.
Learn from PKR’s lesson. Select well and perhaps you can take back your two-thirds majority in Parliament. Don’t take shortcuts like what Anwar did in 2008.
You do that, you are no better than him. Just another politician who wants to win at any and all costs. That’s what wanna-bes are, not champions.
* Othman Wahab reads The Malaysian Insider.
Perhaps that is true although Messrs Raja Petra Kamarudin and Haris Mohamed Ibrahim have an affection for PKR if their support in March 2008 is anything to go by.
I think they are just disappointed with the few in PKR who have embarrassed and nullified the momentum of the 2008 “political tsunami”.
They still share the same sentiments of the politicians who share the informal umbrella called Pakatan Rakyat. A clean government, equality for all and hope for a better Malaysia.
So, it’s strange that PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak is suggesting that these dissatisfied Third Force fellows can join Barisan Nasional as associate or direct members.
“They can become associate members, affiliate members (of BN) and so on. We are open and inclusive in our attitude to draw more people to Barisan and Umno,” he said, according to a Bernama report in The Malaysian Insider.
The report said he denied that Barisan Nasional was allowing direct membership because it was hard pressed to find second-line leaders.
Well, Mr PM. Are you sure you have such leaders that you don’t need the Third Force selection of candidates.
What is even strange is that you think they want or can fit in with the Barisan Nasional philosophy.
They don’t believe in the “social contract” or the New Economic Policy that seems to be the spine of Umno and Barisan Nasional.
Would you agree with them just so that you can score political points against PKR?
The Third Force is a reaction to the PKR leadership that seems to be a victim of its own success. And PKR is a reaction to Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking from Umno. There is no circular logic that two wrongs make a right.
Not in politics anyway that the enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Mr PM, please rethink what you said today. Don’t get caught up with the idea of winning at all costs that you will just take anybody into your fold.
That was PKR’s mistake. And the main grumble of the Third Force that is now offering its selection of screened candidates to PKR. Not to Umno.
Learn from PKR’s lesson. Select well and perhaps you can take back your two-thirds majority in Parliament. Don’t take shortcuts like what Anwar did in 2008.
You do that, you are no better than him. Just another politician who wants to win at any and all costs. That’s what wanna-bes are, not champions.
* Othman Wahab reads The Malaysian Insider.
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