No longer PPBM member - Rais Hussin

SHAH ALAM: As of today, I, Dr Hj Rais Hussin Hj Mohamed Ariff, no longer a member of PPBM. My official letter has been sent to the party yesterday (October 6, 2022). I have had many fond memories with this party, from its pre-infancy i.e. before its establishment, from ground sub-zero. The challenges then were immense but together we made impossible possible against all odds. Throughout my active role in the party, I never shied away from speaking the brutal truth to the powers that be, more often or not at my personal costs. Be that as may I cherished so much the various responsibilities given in the party and then the coalition Pakatan Harapan. Admittedly, I have been inactive party member since 2020, after a heart procedure and focused much on developing and nurturing EMIR Research as an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendation based on rigorous research.

Although I am not a member of PPBM, I will still actively pursue my struggle for better Malaysia for the MANY based on five core principles i.e., reforms, justice, inclusiveness, progressive and wasatiyyah (justly-balanced approach). This is what led me to co-found PPBM then despite the monumental tasks ahead then.

It has been a very educational and experiential journey from 2015, and have learned much from this political voyage, good and bad, that will surely help guide and shape me, moving forward. Perhaps a little wiser. Yes, I have been vocal, frank and brutal since 2015, sometimes way ahead of time, not shying away from giving contrarian views but for the sake of the party and the sublime struggle then. I have been aggressive, sometime plain aggressive and sometime persuasively aggressive but it was and is done in the purest intention, for the greater interest of the party. Going forward, while the manhaj (methodology and/or platform) may be different, but the maqasid (aims and objectives) will be the same based on the 5 aforementioned core principles, for better Malaysia for the MANY, not for the few.

Must register my heartfelt appreciation to all party members whom I have worked with for many years, especially early years when we got together against all odds to rescue Malaysia from the kleptocrats. Must record my appreciation to my party chairman then, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who at one time entrusted many of the key responsibilities of building the party and PH coalition prior to GE14. It only stopped after GE14. That was indeed a “Phd” in politics in many ways, and one day I hope to document it in a book. Certainly, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, PPBM party President who in many ways understood me better than anyone else in the party, given my passion and drive.

As they say there are no “flux capacitors” to go back in time to change what has happened, likewise we don’t know what future really holds. Yes, we can plan and there are plans. But one thing for sure, I will continue my pathways of speaking truth to the power without fear or favour based on data, science and economics. That is indeed my DNA, sometime to my costs, but in the greater interest of greater objective of rebuilding this nation of ours for the MANY, not for few.

Datuk Wira Dr Hj Rais Hussin Hj Mohamed Ariff