IN the recent Umno General Assembly, youth leader Muhammad Akmal Saleh demanded an apology from DAP like the one the latter gave Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), to prove its sincerity in cooperating with Umno. 

The Malacca exco was mistaken in his demand. 

DAP apologised to GPS over a genuine slight. It was a political impediment to the formation of the unity government then. 

In Umno’s case, the issue is not about politics per se, but administrative decisions and remarks made by former finance minister Lim Guan Eng during the first Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal government’s tenure.

Umno’s inclusion in the unity government was at the behest of the king, and both PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) chose to abide by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree.

While we are all under the government of His Majesty, the political power of Sarawak royals weighs less than it does on Umno, a party built on loyalty to religion, race and the palace.

In the heat of politics, a lot of fodder went into all parties’ cannons – including that of their former friends and new allies, so what “false accusations” is Umno Youth going on about?

Umno’s continued narrative of seeking a pardon for Najib Razak puts DAP and PKR in awkward positions with their voters, even though both parties are not responding.

It is enough that DAP should suffer often unfair labels thrown at it by Perikatan Nasional and occasionally Muda.

Umno should instead reciprocate the good will of both parties by exercising its own restraint and help make the unity government’s cooperation in state elections more successful.

The federal opposition’s narrative needs to be reined in. One way to fight its narrative is by continually exposing its own hypocrisy on issues it now chooses to highlight. 

For example, the relentless, unending rhetoric that Islam is under attack. 

This barrage of narratives, aimed to convince voters that DAP is behind all evil in Malaysia, is laughable, if not dangerous. “DAP” is being used as a stand-in for a more dangerous implication – non-Muslim political power.

Increasingly, we see this argument to shrink the already small space for political expression among non-Muslim/non-Malay parties, effectively dividing them into two – subservient and assertive – each implying the other side is the assertive one, while their own non-Muslim allies are docile.

This applies almost all available logical fallacies – circular reasoning, false dilemma, appeal to popular untruths, and appeal to ignorance – to gain political edge over their enemies, inching the country step by sad step into an intolerant, agitated political unease that threatens to spill over into our community. 

The faith by many politicians that this manufactured unrest will settle by policy, stable politics, reopening discussions and allowing more moderate politics to dominate the mainstream discourse is hopeful, but strong steps need to be put in place to encourage centrist discussions without sidestepping main issues.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s focus on the poor is helpful – as it is a common problem that can be addressed without stirring controversy and gives little room for his opponents to politicise.

A stronger economy boosts the mood for more serious discussions down the road, but participants of the unity government need to stand up for one another and keep the focus on issues that matter.

Let’s not forget why the unity government was formed in the first place. – June 14, 2023.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.