The folly of youth, the arrogance of experience

On stage, Rafizi Ramli tends to cast himself as some sort of political messiah, promising to usher in change for Malaysia.

Judging by the way he attacks Pakatan Harapan—the coalition he once belonged to—and his criticism of the prime minister, Rafizi, once mocked as the “king of formulas,” now seems to have all the answers to the nation’s troubles.

His Parti Bersama Malaysia colleague, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, meanwhile, believes politics can still be driven by sheer willpower and a readiness to confront sensitive issues head-on.

Bersama’s ceramahs will have you think sweeping reforms could happen overnight — but that is never the case.

At one recent ceramah, a Bersama candidate touched on the taboo subject of Selangor’s pig farming ban. Any aspiring politician should know this is a sensitive matter—especially after the Selangor sultan weighed in. Just ask the DAP assemblyman who learned the hard way.

Yet Boo Wei Han did the unthinkable: he spoke out against the sultan’s decision. Was that the result of courage, naivety, or sheer recklessness?

Enter Rafizi, the white knight, praising Boo’s honesty and bravery. He even revealed that Bersama doesn’t script speeches for its candidates, preferring them to speak candidly. This, he said, was “new-style politics.”

But the very next day, Rafizi ordered candidates to exercise greater discipline, issuing guidelines on what they should and shouldn’t say. Whatever happened to speaking from the heart? So much for trusting the young.

Is this really new politics—or just the old style dressed up differently?

Malaysians are a forgiving lot. We forgave Dr Mahathir Mohamad his wrongs and accepted him as prime minister a second time. Boo’s misstep also deserves compassion. After all, it was the folly of youth.

What is harder to forgive is Rafizi’s arrogance in defending the gaffe, while insinuating that the prime minister, DAP, and MCA were cowards for not speaking up.

As a seasoned politician, Rafizi should know the delicate balance between the palace and politics. To think one can simply defy royalty speaks more of ego than wisdom.

My concern isn’t Rafizi or Bersama per se. Parties with ideals are welcome. What worries me is that we, the voters, are being seduced into believing change is just around the corner, sold on witty soundbites and promises without strategy or pragmatism.

Just as some voters buy into racial and religious narratives, others are lulled into thinking reforms can be delivered overnight. But Rome wasn’t built in a day. Change requires patience, diplomacy, and compromise.

Boo’s gaffe is a bitter pill for him, Rafizi and Bersama. But if voters back the wrong party, ordinary Malaysians may end up swallowing something far more bitter.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.