MUHYIDDIN Yassin may be in the driver’s seat, but Umno and PAS are his government’s engine, said political analysts on what to expect of the new administration.

They told The Malaysian Insight that the previous Pakatan Harapan administration’s promises to reform the country’s institutions will remain lip service because Umno and PAS will now call the shots.

The two parties formed the muafakat nasional pact, the largest bloc in the Perikatan Nasional government.

Umno has 39 MPs, more than Prime Minister Muhyiddin’s Bersatu, whose support base of 36 lawmakers itself is in doubt.

Muafakat nasional had opposed the majority of PH’s reforms, such as asset declarations by MPs, amending death penalty laws and forming a body to check abuses in the police force, said analysts.

Ethnic relations will worsen as the new administration is 99% Malay-Muslim and filled with Malay nationalists, not reflecting the nation’s multiracial make-up, they said.

Also in doubt are the court cases of high-profile Umno figures as the party now has a say on who is appointed attorney-general.

“PAS has repeatedly reminded everyone that muafakat nasional is the backbone of this government. Without their support, this government would not have come into being,” said political scientist Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

“PAS and Umno will have the biggest share of cabinet posts, this is not like PH, where every party had an equal share.

“Azmin and his MPs have little power. If they say they want to continue the institutional reforms, it’s just talk. His voice is very small,” he said, referring to former PKR No. 2 Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Azmin and Muhyiddin, who were part of the PH government, triggered its collapse when they quit the coalition on February 24.

Azmin brought with him 10 other PKR MPs, but at least one, Baru Bian, has renounced his support for the former deputy president and returned to PH.

Muhyiddin was sworn in as prime minister on Sunday after showing the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the day before that he has the backing of at least 114 MPs.

Among the lawmakers supporting the Bersatu president are 39 from Umno, and they include Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, whose fraud and corruption trials are ongoing. PAS contributed 18 MPs, and the rest are from Sabah parties and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

After Muhyiddin took his oath of office, Azmin said the new government is committed to enabling institutional reform.

Enabling nationalists

Tunku Mohar Tunku Mokhtar of International Islamic University Malaysia said Umno and PAS have gone on record to oppose PH’s reforms.

“Such reforms were strongly criticised by Umno and also other parties that threw their support behind Muhyiddin.

“These reforms now require at least the acquiescence of Umno and PAS for them to be carried out. The question is whether these two right-wing parties will agree to the reforms.”

Another worry is the fact that for the first time in Malaysian history, the government comprises parties that do not draw support from the Chinese and Indians, as well as other minorities.

MCA and MIC are both in the government, with the former having two MPs, and the latter, one. PH’s DAP has 42, while PKR has 29, and these parties have the backing of a wide swathe of the country’s different communities.

GPS, which comprises parties representing Sarawak’s ethnic communities, has said it is not part of PN.

“This is probably the first time a predominantly Malay group of MPs is appointed to helm the country’s administration. The composition surely does not reflect the ethnic diversity of the country,” said Tunku Mohar.

The coalitions of previous governments, including Barisan Nasional, fit what political scientist Arend Lijphart termed “consociational”.

“Among others, consociationalism is a grand coalition that works on the principle of proportionality according to ethnic group,” said Tunku Mohar.

“The new government may have the problem of justifying that it is representative of the nation’s diverse ethnic groups.”

The end result, said Mazlan, is that such an administration will embolden Malay nationalists.

“They will no longer be shy about Islamisation. Vernacular schools will have a tough time as their voice might be ignored.

“Because they (Malay nationalists) will say, ‘We don’t need to listen to you. You never vote for us anyway, and we have a Malay government behind us’.” – March 6, 2020.