Academic Tajuddin Rasdi has argued that former DAP MP Ong Kian Ming’s openness to teaming up with former Umno MP Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) to form a new party could spark a much-needed “third option” in Malaysian politics.
In his column for Free Malaysia Today, Tajuddin cited Ong’s stated willingness to serve as a Cabinet minister if Khairy were appointed prime minister, describing the prospect as exciting and a potential way to reclaim Malaysians’ imagination and hope through a new political vehicle.
He contrasted the idea with a leadership pairing he had previously envisioned — Khairy and former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, saying both are qualified but both want to lead, risking a “two tigers on one mountain” dynamic and a repeat of damaging political fallouts.
With Ong, Tajuddin said, the dynamic shifts. He described the former Bangi MP as capable of leadership but distinguished by humility, a trait he said is rare in politics and central to why the partnership stands out.
Tajuddin argued that Malaysians are currently caught between two dominant pairings, Anwar Ibrahim–Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on one side and Muhyiddin Yassin–Abdul Hadi Awang on the other, both of which keep Islam at the centre of political narratives.
He questioned what happens when these leaders step aside, and whether Malaysia will remain locked in a cycle where race and religion are the main currency for votes.
He said a Khairy–Ong partnership could begin building a progressive counter-narrative and attract like-minded figures such as former minsiter Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, while pushing politics toward development and spirituality moving in tandem.
Tajuddin also framed Ong’s choice as tactical, saying cooperation between two former MPs from DAP and Umno would send a powerful signal, especially given uneven progress in unity-government collaboration and recurring internal disruptions.
He concluded by calling for serious consideration of the idea, arguing Malaysia needs a post-Reformasi ideology beyond the old battles over race and religion.
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