THE first part of this article spoke about the history of zero-opposition assemblies in Malaysia and their pros and cons.

However, it only touched upon one type of zero-opposition assembly, in which a single party or coalition has won all the seats in an election.

This part focuses on another type of zero-opposition assembly, in which all political parties in the country come together to form the government post-election.

A national government formed of such a union is usually called a national unity government. This typically occurs during times of national emergency, such as war, and the parties usually go their separate ways once the danger has passed.

The main reason our current administration is called a unity government is because the king appointed Anwar Ibrahim the prime minister after a hung parliament. His Majesty had expressed hope that all parties could unite to form the federal government.

With the exception of Perikatan Nasional (PN), all parties and coalitions with seats in parliament accepted the advice.

Because PN declined to fall in line, some political analysts have said that the term “unity government” for the Anwar administration is a misnomer.

Nevertheless, the name has stuck, and it is one that the government identifies itself as.

That was the first attempt to form a zero-opposition government after the November general election. The second attempt occurred in April when Malacca Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh expressed hope that the two PN assemblymen in the state would join the Barisan Nasional (BN) government before the state’s anti-hopping bill was passed. This would leave the state with no opposition.

BN had won the majority and formed the state government after the 2021 state elections.

When Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN joined forces to form the federal government last year, their state counterparts in Malcca followed suit, leaving the two PN assemblymen to serve as the only opposition members in the assembly.

If the two PN assemblymen had accepted the offer, Malacca would have become the first state in Malaysia since 1999 to have no opposition in the state assembly.

However, the offer was rejected by the two PN representatives.

Regardless of what we think of PN’s performance as the opposition, their decision must be commended.

We should not denounce PN as being disrespectful to the king by refusing to join the unity government.

As stated in the first part of the article, while it may be beneficial for a government to have a solid majority in parliament or the state assembly, a functioning opposition is necessary for checks and balances.

A legislature with zero opposition will be at the mercy of the governing parties, who can then rule as they please.

It is understandable that the king would want all parties to come together after years of political instability and a pandemic.

However, the current situation, in which the government rules with a comfortable majority and an adequate number of opposition members in parliament, is sufficient to provide the political stability that aligns with the Agon’s wishes without sacrificing oversight.

In the case of a genuine national emergency, forming an all-parties federal government might be a viable option. However, in such a scenario, there is no need for the states to follow suit.

In fact, we should learn to separate federal politics from state politics. In mature democracies, if a national election results in a hung parliament, forcing rival parties or coalitions to band together to form the government, their counterparts at the subnational or local level would remain separate.

Similarly, if subnational or local elections lead to the formation of a government consisting of different parties or coalitions, there is no obligation for the national counterparts to do the same.

Malaysia is at a pivotal point in history where we are still learning to navigate the challenges of democratic politics after more than six decades of single-party rule.

At this stage, improving and maintaining our system of checks and balances should be our top priority.

Let us hope that both the government and opposition learn and grow from the process. – July 10, 2023.

* Rayner Sylvester Yeo is a member of Agora Society. He was born in Sabah and is currently residing in Kuala Lumpur. Having grown up in a mixed-ethnic, multi-faith family and spent his working life in public, private and non-profit sectors, he believes diversity is the spice of life.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.