UMNO was employing the racial and religious narrative as a tactic to win votes long before the decline of Barisan Nasional in 2018, political analysts said.

Such a narrative has been utilised for decades by politicians to gain support – at the cost of nation-building, they said.

Iman Research programme director Badrul Hisham Ismail said the unity government is no different.

Badrul said that the “green wave” phenomenon, coined to describe the swelling tide Muslim-Malay support for Perikatan Nasional, is essentially a continuation of the conservative support that went to Umno before the 2018 general election.

“Are we on a dangerous path with the race and religious narrative? We have maintained conservatism for many years, but the question is, are we becoming more right-wing than ever?” he asked.

“We didn’t make the shift to right-wing ideologies overnight.”

He said the government’s inclination towards populism is regressive and worrisome.

“As the opposition, it was vociferous in its criticism of the government but as the government, it is taking the same tone as the previous administration,” he said.

Badrul noted that the country would not be on the right path if it continues to practice ethnocentrism.

“It all began with Umno, and it was dangerous, but we never addressed that issue. The only way out is through nation-building, but we have never undertaken that.

“Efforts were made, such as after the May 13 riots and after BN’s loss in 2018, but no government has managed to adopt the nation-building narrative to propel us forward,” he said.

PN’s sweeping electoral victories in Malay-majority constituencies have raised concerns that the unity government would emulate PN to win over the conservative Malays.

New laws

Azmi Hassan at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research said politicians will continue to exploit Islam and race for advantage post-elections.

He said PN’s decision to introduce its own Merdeka Day slogan is an example of the coalition’s continued focus on religion and race.

“This is detrimental to a multiethnic country. Despite the risks, PN will continue to employ this strategy.”

Azmi said Malaysia required legislation to curb religion- and race-based fanaticism.

“The Sedition Act is too broad and the MCMC, too weak. We need a dedicated law to control this narrative. The danger is real.

“Why do you think Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg said to ‘leave your peninsula politics out of Sabah and Sarawak,’” he said.

Aliran president Anil Netto said PH-BN will alienate its non-Malay supporters if it chooses to compete with PN on the convervative playing field.

“Anwar could achieve much more by becoming a leader for all citizens, including for Sabah and Sarawak residents,” he said.

“He should focus on people’s priorities, integrity, and trust; show greater compassion and concern for the grassroots.”

Netto t the government has numerous strategies available to counter PN’s right-wing approach.

“One effective strategy is education. We can educate our children about multiculturalism and coexistence. Encourage them to participate in events at different schools. Currently, they lack the chance to interact with one another as they tend to remain isolated within their schools.” – August 23, 2023.