KUALA LUMPUR: Gombak Setia State Assemblyman Datuk Dr Hasan Ali has predicted that a ‘small tsunami’ would hit the national political arena, with the setting up of Jati on Feb 21.
He disclosed that the prediction was based on solid support he had received in his recent nationwide tour.
In an interview over Bernama’s Radio24 programme, ‘On Radar’, yesterday, Hasan said the impression and early response which he received, convinced him that the future of the third force in Malaysia was bright — although it was something new in the local political scene.
“I believe the third power block being planned will bring a big impact, at least to the group of Malaysians who already know how to think. Currently, Malaysians have become a society of thinkers who will not easily accept something which is considered stale.
“The presence of the third force, indeed, will become more dominant and big to launch a system of movement which is much needed in Malaysia. My sacking from PAS at the outset, which was not significant and said to have triggered a small wave, has now become a big wave,” he noted.
Hasan has clarified that Jati had no problem forging a relationship with any party, so long as the said party believed in the concept of Jati’s struggle, namely IMR, an abbreviation for the struggle for Islam, Malays and upholding the constitutional monarchy.
Asked on the possibility of Jati merging with other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Pertubuhan Peribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa), as a means to strengthen the influence of the third force, Hasan said it depended on the parties in raising IMR’s dignity.
However, according to Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies Associate Professor Dr Shaharudin Badaruddin, the third power block would only appear as a strong force and be feared, if certain elements existed.
Firstly, said Shaharuddin, the third force would only get support if the people or voters were already disgusted with the antics and politicking from the ruling party or the opposition.
Other than that, the third force would become more steady and could play its role effectively if Jati and several NGOs merged their strengths, and not stand alone.
He was also of the opinion that any third force which wanted to get the solid support of Malaysians needed to have an element of plurality, that is, it should be well-received by the multi-racial society, and not just one community. — Bernama