From Terence Netto
Factions and the contestations between them are endemic to democratic political parties.
It is all too easy to view them, as rival parties are apt to, as signs of imminent collapse.
Unless of course the contestations are over ideology, there is no warrant for the view that internal ructions in democratic political parties portend disastrous division.
The current internal ructions in Bersatu, a partner in the opposition Perikatan Nasional, brought on by the open criticisms of supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan aimed at secretary-general Azmin Ali, do not bode ill for the party.
They are divergences of opinion, not of ideology.
If such differences do not occur, then the party would be a monolithic one, which is not a healthy projection.
Dissenting opinions among ranking members are the lifeblood of a democratic party: without them the party would be regarded as effete and lacking the vitality to lead.
In the present Malaysian political landscape, PKR had earlier this year gone through what looked like a damaging clash of factions, one led by party leader Anwar Ibrahim, which turned out to be victorious in internal polls, and the other by Rafizi Ramli.
The contestation hasn’t led to schism, mainly because it was not over ideology.
It was chiefly over who would take over the leadership of PKR once Anwar exited centre stage — in the party and from the national arena.
Months after what looked like an intense battle between the factions which culminated in victors and losers, PKR is holding together, a sign of its growing maturation.
Would the same thing occur in Bersatu after the fusillades being exchanged by the Wan Saiful and Azmin factions peter out?
Ever wondered why Amanah is such a quiet party?
After the ideological cleavage in PAS between the conservative mullahs and the professionals that was simmering for a decade at least, eventuated in schism in 2015, the latter group left to set up Amanah.
But these schismatics have not succeeded in articulating an alternative vision of Islamist politics.
The upshot: Amanah has become a quiescent party.
There are no internal ructions, no proponents of an alternative Islamist vision.
The party has become as passive as a house pet.
Internal ructions and its concomitants — dissenting opinions, leadership contests, alternative visions — are the lifeblood of democratic parties.
Of course, too much of it vitiates; a sensible proportion vitalises.
Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.