KUALA LUMPUR – In light of Pakatan Harapan (PH) managing to rake in only five of the 28 seats in the Melaka election, Maszlee Malik’s move to join PKR has been received with no small amount of mockery and apprehension.
It has not helped that the component party itself did not win any seats in the recent polls.
As such, bringing in Maszlee may be part of a strategy to shore up the party with individuals regarded as “moderate” Islamists.
Political observers who perceive the Simpang Renggam MP and former education minister as a cosmopolitan politician with moderate Islamic views are not surprised by his decision.
In fact, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Azmil Tayeb believes that Maszlee should have made the choice from the start. PKR, he said, is a much better fit for him compared to a Malay nationalist party like Bersatu.
Electorally speaking, the Simpang Renggam constituency is a microcosm of Malaysia with a similar demographic breakdown of 60% Malays, 30% Chinese, and 9% Indians.
“Multi-cornered fights will surely occur come GE15 (15th general election), with Malay votes being divided between Umno, Bersatu, and PKR.
“Assuming that non-Malays maintain their support for PH and Maszlee is able to obtain at least 20% of the Malay votes, he stands a good chance of retaining his seat,” Azmil told The Vibes.
He said, however, the results of the Melaka election suggest that support for PH from the non-Malay community is eroding – which means Maszlee will have to work hard to help regain their support.
Echoing this sentiment is analyst Oh Ei Sun, who believes that influential Muslims who share Maszlee’s moderate religious stance are thinning in proportion to the hardcore ones – reducing the prospects of Maszlee’s entry into PKR impacting the landscape much.
“I frankly think it would have very little impact on the national political scene, as most Islamists are becoming ever more conservative, radical, and extreme, instead of progressive and moderate.
“The Mazlee cohort is a shrinking constituency,” he stressed.
The senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs theorised that a possible motivation for the move could in part have been PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s need for more higher-profile assistants in the party.
This is in light of the fact that many of Anwar’s loyalists have become disenchanted, he said.
“Seeing as many PKR MPs have defected over the past months, it would be nice for them (PKR) to be able to turn the tide a bit, even if it is just for appearances’ sake.
“Anwar might also be looking to co-opt other moderate Islamists, of which Maszlee is one, into the party,” Oh told The Vibes.
He said while he is looking forward to seeing what party position Maszlee will be appointed to, he does not expect the national political scene to be impacted much.
May bring a welcome edge to PKR
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Assoc Prof Kartini Aboo Talib expressed a similar point of view, saying that despite Maszlee’s move having a “trivial impact”, the former minister deserves a second chance to exhibit his qualities.
If he (Maszlee) is confident with the opposition, then he should be with the cluster that accepts him.
“He might also give PKR an added edge since voters may want to see how he will manoeuvre his idealism within PKR,” she told The Vibes.
Maszlee officially joined PKR’s folds on November 27, having handed in his application form to Anwar during a Jelajah Presiden event on the day itself.
He entered politics as a Bersatu member, winning the Simpang Renggam seat in the general election of May 2018. Maszlee was then appointed as education minister in the then PH federal government, but resigned in January last year.
He was later sacked from Bersatu soon after the Sheraton Move early last year that saw the collapse of the PH administration.
He then joined Parti Pejuang Tanah Air for a few months, before becoming independent.
In welcoming him, PKR information chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said Maszlee, an academic, is currently chairman of the parliamentary select committee for education, while having previously been a minister in charge of the portfolio.
“He will bring new perspectives and solutions on how we can take this nation forward through youth empowerment and by improving the standard of education,” Shamsul said.
Incidentally, Maszlee recently revealed that he was once registered as a PKR member in 2017 under the Ampang branch.
“Unfortunately, at that time, I was heavy-hearted about continuing my journey and involvement in the political party, especially in case I had to leave academia,” he had said before handing in his application form to Anwar. – The Vibes, November 30, 2021
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