THE political fiasco persists, with no clear conclusion in sight.
A few things are certain, though; the Perikatan Nasional government isn’t stable, lacking both a comfortable margin and mandate, and its sole purpose seems to be to deny its opponents power. Meanwhile, the current opposition isn’t as united as previous blocs, without a compelling raison d’être fuelling its fight, such as the Najib Razak-1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.
The elephant in the room is the disproportionate racial and religious representation on either side. The imbalance makes talking about issues relating to the two topics awkward. However, this very awkwardness is perhaps, strangely and thankfully, a reason for the decline in heated rhetoric.
With the three major Malay-Muslim parties on the same page, the “competition” to champion the community’s cause has cooled, while non-Muslim civil organisations, including Chinese education groups, have toned down their demands that were previously made rather loudly, contributing to the yelling match that led to the perception that Pakatan Harapan had lost Malay support.
But the reality is that there hasn’t been much change in public policy over the last few months, whether right- or left-leaning. It can’t be denied that there have been some good moves, such as the revised B40 categorisation and overtures to educationists. Some decisions may be unpopular, like the U-turn on the teaching of mathematics and science in English, but at least, there’s now clarity on the direction we’re taking with regard to an issue that has hovered over us for a good decade or so. Maybe this is yet another unexpected result of calmer public opinion – apathy, even – belying chaotic political undercurrents.
Combative issues are likely to be raised again, however, once the Covid-19 crisis is over. It’s to be expected that the temperature will crank up, with the possibility of snap polls already bandied about and parties keen to prove the strength of their new alliances and cement their positions.
To tackle these issues tactfully, without too much angst and grandstanding, the government and opposition pacts need to be more viable, mature and sustainable. PN is a Malay-Muslim-dominated front with nominal non-Muslim members and conditional backing from Sarawak parties, while PH can claim liberal, non-Muslim and Sabah support, but has a Malay-Muslim membership that’s too low for it to effectively govern, at least for now.
It isn’t much of a stretch to say each coalition has the support of half the country, and both must address their deficiencies before elections are called, or things will only get worse in the run-up, during campaigning, and after, when the horse-trading takes place.
While all eyes have been on the rifts in Bersatu and PKR, and the personality wars between prime ministers past, present and hopeful, who are also from these two parties, the real conflict is between Umno, where all these personalities originated from, and long-time target DAP. It’s no coincidence that the latter two hold the largest number of parliamentary seats by party across the aisle; the distrust between the communities they represent has translated into votes. In part, this is why Umno and DAP have, rightly or wrongly, been forced into the “background”, despite giving their respective pacts the biggest share in the Dewan Rakyat.
Engaging one another constructively will help the country’s political discourse mature. It’s difficult to do for the older leaders, so the younger, more idealistic ones should step forward to revive discussions on nation-building. And, Umno and DAP’s position at the moment enables them to comment on current issues without the need to overly antagonise.
PN and PH should make effort to balance out their racial and religious composition, so that all communities feel like they have a voice in each. With that assurance and better mainstream discourse, Malaysia has a shot at a mature and sustainable two-party system focused on issues and ideologies, a system that she deserves. – July 22, 2020.
* 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.
* 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.
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