RAFIZI Ramli made a comeback in the political arena, all revved up as the Deputy President of PKR, the core party of Pakatan Harapan (PH).
He is now the second most powerful person in PKR after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Rafizi announced his retirement in politics on 10 December 2019 when the people’s disappointment towards the PH government was getting louder as party could not fulfil its 14th General Election (GE14) manifesto.
Nevertheless, Rafizi re-emerged ferociously in April this year after stating his wish to contest for the PKR Deputy President’s post.
He challenged the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for a debate on issues surrounding Sapura, which sparked the ‘debate of the century’ between Najib and the President of PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Rafizi is now seen as the saviour of PKR and PH after the party’s horrendous defeat in the Sabah, Melaka and Johor state elections and a few other by-elections.
His return was celebrated with open arms and he successfully toppled his challenger, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for the Deputy President’s post.
However, whenever his name is mentioned, the former Pandan Member of Parliament (MP) cannot escape from the shadows of the unfulfilled formulas which he planted since 2012, before GE13 and it went on until GE14.
The spellbinding slogans
During every GE, Rafizi and Pakatan will come up with spellbinding concepts and slogans to attract new voters and the youths.
In GE13, Rafizi introduced the Orange Book. In GE14, the slogan Bina Semula Negara (Rebuilding Our Nation) was sung and for GE15, he presented Ayuh Malaysia.
Rafizi will churn several mesmerising formulas in each campaign. However, those popular formulas which raked the votes of the people could not be implemented even during the administration of Pakatan as the State and Federal Government.
Abolish PTPTN & toll, cheap petrol, reduce car prices
In the GE13 campaigns where Rafizi contested for the Pandan Parliament constituency, he alleged that Pakatan could abolish PTPTN debts and provide free higher learning education.
Rafizi, who was then the PKR Strategy Director on 21 April 2012 wrote, ‘Only an additional RM3b for free education.’
The formula to abolish PTPTN can still be read in his blog entitled ‘Soal jawab PTPTN: Kita Mampu Hapuskan PTPTN’ (Q&A on PTPTN: Can We Abolish PTPTN?).
Besides abolishing PTPTN, Rafizi, in his GE13 campaigns, also presented the formulas to reduce the price of fuel to RM1.50 per litre.
Rafizi shared his formula in a post entitled ‘Jawapan awal: Pakatan ada jalan laksanakan program Buku Jingga’ (Preliminary Answer: Pakatan has the way to implement the Orange Book programme).
He also produced formula on how Pakatan could takeover the PLUS Expressways to eliminate toll.
He tabulated the formula in his video dated 9 April 2013 which could still be reached at his YouTube channel.
He said, RM4 billion is required for that purpose, which included buying the toll concession from Khazanah and EPF amounting to RM1.4 billion.
Rafizi also gave formula to reduce the retail price of cars in Malaysia. He said, the price of cars must be reduced as the people are bearing high amount of debts.
According to him, the exorbitant price of cars was caused by high taxation and if Pakatan wins, he was determined to eradicate relevant taxes in stages.
Rafizi’s campaigns were captivating and in GE13, he managed to seize the Pandan Parliament from Barisan Nasional (BN).
GE14: Rebuilding Our Nation and broken formulas
Truly, free education, PTPTN and toll abolishment, and low fuel prices are very close to the hearts of the people. Once again, the same issues were being played by Pakatan in GE14.
Rafizi, who successfully became the Pandan MP got a promotion after he was chosen as the Vice-President of PKR by GE14.
The strategist of PH began his Rebuilding Our Nation tour.
He continued to use the petrol price sentiments in the general election campaigns to woo the voters. He gave formula on reducing the prices of petrol and diesel to below RM1.80.
He said, the petrol subsidies quota mechanism formula could reduce the prices of petrol and diesel and the formula was included in the handbook, ‘A Guide to Rebuilding Our Nation’.
Besides that, he continued to use the issues surrounding the prices of cars in GE14. He condemned the National Automotive Policy 2014 (NAP2014) as the Barisan Nasional Government refused to reduce the high excise tax.
Pakatan Harapan recycled Rafizi’s popular ideas in GE13 which involved petrol, toll and PTPTN with several tweaks in GE14.
Those ideas were inserted into PH’s manifesto and they promised to implement them within the first 100 days in office if Pakatan became the Government.
Following such great formulas, Pakatan Harapan became the Federal Government successfully in GE14.
PH also managed to control Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Sabah, along with their tradition states such as Selangor and Penang.
However, after getting the mandate of the people, PH failed to fulfil its manifesto within the period they promised.
This caused the rage against Pakatan and the party was badly defeated in several by-elections and state elections.
The Pakatan Government led by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was toppled in February 2020 following the resignation of the Langkawi MP after losing the majority as the MPs from Bersatu and 11 PKR leaders ditched Pakatan.
Ayuh Malaysia
Now, Rafizi returns with his GE15 campaign and Ayuh Malaysia slogan since July.
Other than the formula on Sapura Energy Berhad (SEB), Rafizi has not presented any other new formula.
Will Rafizi recycle the formulas on fuel price, PTPTN, toll, free education and car prices which he has been using since 2012?
Will Rafizi and his formulas help Pakatan Harapan to win again?
Can Rafizi incite the people successfully with his great but broken formulas?
Will his reappearance and formulas save Pakatan or destroy it? -MalaysiaGazette
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Rafizi to make a political comeback?
