KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli says 75 per cent of more than 20,000 members in Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) have no connection to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), rejecting claims that the newly launched party is made up of disgruntled PKR members.
According to Kosmo! Online, Rafizi was responding to accusations that Bersama, launched on May 17, was a “party of sore losers” or former PKR members dissatisfied with the political establishment.
He said critics had repeatedly pushed only a handful of narratives against the party.
“So far, those criticising Bersama only have two or three talking points. One is that it is a party of disgruntled people. They don’t realise that 75 per cent of Bersama members have never had any link with PKR,” he said during a ceramah in Ipoh last night.
Rafizi also argued that Malaysia’s major political parties are still dominated by older leaders, making it difficult for younger voices to rise.
He warned that the country could face negative consequences if leadership continues to be held by those who do not understand the needs of younger generations.
He added that this situation has pushed him towards a “kamikaze” political approach, saying it was not unfamiliar to him given his past battles against Barisan Nasional ahead of the 2018 general election.
“If I had only thought about myself, I would have met Najib. Anwar Ibrahim was in prison then.
“If I had only thought about myself and not gone ‘kamikaze’, I would not have campaigned across Malaysia to defeat Umno, BN and Najib. Wouldn’t it have been easier if I had gone to Najib earlier and ‘cut a deal’ not to touch 1MDB? But I chose to fight from the beginning,” he said.
On the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, Rafizi said Bersama would finalise its strategy and make announcements at the appropriate time.
