Wawasan must walk the talk on being centrist, says analyst

Parti Wawasan Negara, a member of Perikatan Nasional, is led by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin. (Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: Parti Wawasan Negara needs to walk the talk in advocating centrist Malay-Muslim politics, particularly by championing reforms, says an analyst.While the idea could woo urban Malays and fence-sitters, Malaysia had no shortage of parties that touted themselves as championing moderate, inclusive and progressive politics, said political analyst Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting.Most of these parties were already the main players, which meant Wawasan must genuinely be reform-minded in its actions to stand out, he said.Zaharuddin said Wawasan must push for reforms like limiting the prime minister’s tenure while rejecting money politics, practising transparent political financing, and choosing election candidates based on merit.“If Wawasan dares to do so, then it would truly be setting a new political standard," Zaharuddin said.“In political science, a new party is only relevant if it offers a clear political value proposition. If this ‘centrist Malay-Muslim’ narrative ends up being a mere slogan, Wawasan would be perceived as merely repackaging an old idea.“Centrist politics is about being firm on one’s principles yet moderate in approach.

If it tries to appease all parties, it will lose its identity and the confidence of voters,” he told FMT.Wawasan was formerly Parti Cinta Malaysia until it was taken over by parliamentary opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin and renamed. The party is part of the PAS-led opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional.Yesterday, the party's secretary-general, Saifuddin Abdullah, said Malay-Muslim politics must be centrist, moderate, and reject all forms of extremism and fanaticism in order to unite Malay-Muslims without turning into an exclusive movement.Separately, political analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Wawasan’s moderate approach could set itself apart from other Malay-Muslim parties which are often more conservative.“Wawasan is, ideologically, right in the middle. It’s neither too left nor too right wing,” he said, adding that its narrative could address the non-Malay community’s negative perception of Malay-based parties forging alliances.