OCTOBER 18 ― There were mostly favourable responses when Gerak Independent (GI) mooted the idea of selecting the “people’s candidates” for GE15 so that when elected to parliament they can be responsible for the people rather than just for their political parties (which may or may not truly uphold the wishes of the rakyat). Well, one can argue ― “Isn’t that stretching Idealism a fair bit?”
But with the endless shenanigans by the elected representatives and party leaderships, the “idealism” didn’t seem as out of place as when first mooted.
But when it was reported that GI promoter Siti Kasim had her eyes on the Batu constituency public sentiments did change. What can replacing the PH representative (if she won) really do to the political equation at large? I think immediately she may succeed in causing a PH loss instead even if she doesn’t win. Our first-past-the-post Westminster style allows for as low as a 35 per cent popular vote contestant to win!
It was a BN seat from GE7 to GE11 and a PH seat from GE12 to GE14.
Tawfik Ismail
Tawfik is the son of Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman and was the Benut MP (1986-’90). One of his notable public service achievements was when he chaired the task force to establish TV3 in 1984. In China he would be known as a “Princeling”, a descendant of prominent senior Communist Party officials, especially those who trudged with Mao Zedong during the Long March 1934/5, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang Army.
Tun Dr Ismail, our nation’s second deputy prime minister and arguably the most revered Malaysian after Tunku Abdul Rahman, is known for his complete dedication to the founding principles of Malaysia. He is acclaimed for his unshakeable sense of justice and fair play.
Very sadly he passed on in 1973, just short of his 58th birthday from a massive heart attack. If only he could have been around for just ten or fifteen more years, the “straight and narrow path” would have been more fully embedded in our governance and political process. For one, our NEP would have been a strictly Nation Building effort to “eradicate poverty and restructure society to eliminate the identification of race with economic function”. Oh boy, how a noblest of initiatives have been colossally retooled as an entitlement for some chosen ones!
Tawfik could have just sailed along and be a cabinet minister or the head of a range of GLCs. But I guess being “his father’s son” he couldn’t accept the direction of the Umno leadership from the 1990s onwards. He was openly critical of many of PM Mahathir’s decisions. He also thought Jakim’s role as superfluous.
I heard he even stopped attending any Umno-type forums after Tan Sri Muhyiddin was appointed the deputy prime minister in 2009.
Will PH adopt the ‘rakyat’s candidate’?
Tawfik was part of the GI team when it was founded. Earlier he had been known as a G25 member.
Then last Thursday (13th) he texted chat groups that he will fight in Bagan Datuk and anywhere else the Umno president Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi chooses to stand. It was the single most topical news!
I think this is totally in sync with the stated mission of GI. Tawfik could have also targeted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be dethroned if he thought Anwar would have been a disastrous PM or that a PH administration is a No Go! Obviously he didn’t think it necessary to go for Langkawi or Pagoh as both GTA and PN are most unlikely to be the lead coalition to form the next administration.
The Rakyat versus Rasuah campaign theme is indeed catchy.
Zahid has won six times in Bagan Datuk starting GE9 with 86 per cent of the popular votes, down to 53 per cent in GE13 and 51 per cent in the last outing. The voter turnout was 80 per cent.
Who can PH send whom is more “winnable” than Tawfik?
Otherwise, why not “adopt” Tawfik as a PH candidate?
Postscript
I don’t believe Tawfik has any designs on a political career (b 1951). I think it is his DNA nudging!
* Datuk Lee Yew Meng has spent over 40 years in the communications industry. He is presently a Corporate Adviser to a manufacturing concern and an active member of the National Visual Arts Development Board (Balai Seni Negara).
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
