HOPE, or Harapan, may be the name of the ruling coalition. But ironically, said political analyst Dr Wong Chin Huat, opposition parties need it more than the government.

Wong’s view is not hyperbole, as after 100 days in the “New Malaysia”, opposition parties – Barisan Nasional components and the Islamist PAS – are a shadow of their former selves.

And, that is not a good thing for the “New Malaysia”, said experts, because a mature, healthy democracy requires a loyal opposition.

As it stands, the biggest opposition parties, Umno and PAS, are tilting towards being more racially and religiously charged in a bid to make a comeback.

Wong, of Penang Institute, said this is not good for national cohesion and social stability in a multicultural country.

“With a desperate and destructive opposition, the government either gets dragged into populist contests that harm national interests, or voters get so turned off that they don’t bother to vote.

“And, that would essentially return the country to the ‘Old Malaysia’ of 1Malaysia Development Bhd-scale scandals and toxic racial politics.”

Soul-searching and defections

It did not take long for BN to break up after its 14th general election defeat.

In June, the bloc’s Sarawak parties left to form Gabungan Parti Sarawak, to have better relations with Putrajaya.

Umno lost five federal and state lawmakers, who became either independents or Pakatan Harapan-friendly.

Gerakan and MyPPP, two minnow BN components based in the peninsula, have also left.

The departures slashed BN’s parliamentary seat tally to 54 from the 79 it won in the May 9 elections. Umno lost three seats out of the 54 it secured in the polls.

In GE13, BN won 133 parliamentary seats, of which 88 were Umno’s.

The soul-searching by the three remaining parties – Umno, MCA and MIC – has not mended ties.

A war of words erupted between MCA, BN’s second-largest component, and Umno leaders over who is to blame for the coalition’s losses.

In a further sign that it is planning a future of its own, the Chinese-based MCA decided to contest the Balakong by-election using its own logo and flag.

The party was also not seen campaigning for Umno in the recent Sungai Kandis by-election, despite Chinese voters comprising 12% of the constituency’s electorate.

That by-election saw Umno leaders using some of their most divisive rhetoric in a bid to get Malay-Muslim votes.

Umno’s heightened communalism, said pollster Mohd Azlan Zainal, reflects the party’s efforts to experiment with what it thinks will help it rebuild and regain support.

“In terms of motivation and machinery, it is difficult for Umno to recover and get its old strength back,” said Azlan, who is acting executive director of Ilham Centre.

“So, they are experimenting with different campaign methods, and that’s why they are doubling down on race and religion.”

Returning to power

PH’s opening of the public space for debate has allowed civil society groups to spring up, to hold the government accountable.

“Civil society groups are filling the void left by an ineffective opposition, to scrutinise government policies or oppose unpopular ones,” said Wong.

“This happens at the national level, and also in states like Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Johor.”

In Johor, a new coalition of civil society groups, called the Johor Social Forum, is demanding that the PH state government enact reforms in local legislature to enhance checks and balances, said Wong.

These include creating a formal post for the state’s opposition leader, which would carry the same weight as an executive councillor.

Wong said it appears that none of these ideas – which would have been championed by PH parties when they were in the opposition – came from Umno.

Besides civil society groups, many of PH’s lawmakers and personalities, such as Charles Santiago and Rafizi Ramli, have spoken out against the government when it appears to be backsliding on election promises.

Not all BN elected reps are hopeless, either. MPs, such as Khairy Jamaluddin, Wee Ka Siong, Azalina Othman Said and Mustapa Mohamed, have aggressively questioned PH’s policies in the Dewan Rakyat.

These lawmakers seem to want BN to transform into an inclusive, constructive and loyal opposition that can one day regain the public’s trust as a viable alternative to PH.

“But the question is, can they drive BN or Umno’s direction?” said Wong.

“The ‘thinking’ parliamentarians in the opposition should push for local elections, as they will allow BN to regain ground in PH states, and retain its talent and its hope of one day returning to power.” – August 18, 2018.