COMMENT | I believe young Malaysians like Bersatu's newest recruit Wan Saiful should have a go at the political game. 

Like a merry-go-round in a funfair, ageing politicians who have been hogging the limelight for nearly half a century should get off and let the youngsters have a go.

Having said that, I expected young intellectuals like Wan Saiful would at least have some intellectual honesty to avoid the discredited road of race-based parties which have been the bane of Malaysian society since Independence.

He has not only joined the “Pribumi” party, which is not open to “non-Pribumis” like myself, but is also led by Malaysia’s most well-known autocrat and father of crony capitalism.

Now, why does an erstwhile “liberal” like Wan Saiful want to exclude a fellow Malaysian and human being from his party? After all, isn’t liberalism a political philosophy founded on ideas of liberty and equality? So, what has happened to his liberal thinking?

Furthermore, he now states that the Malay agenda remains relevant and any change would come slowly. That is great for the Malay crony capitalists who have been milking the country all these years since May 13, 1969. It is also a very effective populist ideology to get “Pribumi” votes in elections.

Looks like Harapan still wants Malay agenda

This is all bad news for those who have been dreaming the Malaysian dream of equality, justice and democracy. I have been monitoring Pakatan Harapan’s statements and I have observed a loud silence on the extension of the New Economic Policy.

Now with Harapan having embraced the leader of Bersatu as the prospective Prime Minister, I can bet anybody that there will be no mention of an end to the NEP in Harapan’s GE14 manifesto when it is announced. This is indeed bad news for those who had hopes of a more liberal economic policy and also for all who have criticised the government for its racially discriminatory economic and educational policies...