Analysts: Annuar Musa tok-kok

FMT:

Analysts pour cold water on anti-PH ‘grand coalition’

BN secretary-general Annuar Musa has spoken of forming a grand coalition to unite parties against Pakatan Harapan

PETALING JAYA: Political analysts have poured cold water on a proposal by Barisan Nasional secretary-general Annuar Musa to form a “grand coalition” comprising anti-Pakatan Harapan parties, saying it is unlikely to come to fruition.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said parties such as Pejuang, Muda and Warisan were too progressive for some of the more conservative parties currently in the ruling coalition, rendering them incompatible.

He told FMT that this grand coalition was an “idealised” anti-Anwar and anti-DAP entity which most enlightened Malaysians would see through.

“Then again, the main attraction of such a coalition is the likelihood of monopolising the ruling power, albeit with a presentable supreme leader, which is tempting for at least some elements in the opposition,” he said.

Oh Ei Sun

He also said the proposal for other minor parties like Berjasa and Makkal to join the coalition was just political “window-dressing” under the pretense of inclusiveness; these parties did not even hold any seats in Parliament or state assemblies.

Azmi Hassan, a former lecturer with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said Annuar’s proposal was no game-changer, as Perikatan Nasional, Muafakat Nasional, BN and PH were already examples of grand coalitions.

He said it would be difficult for Malaysian politics to move beyond party lines or political personalities, but added that there was nothing wrong with that.

“Politics is about personalities, no doubt, and to get rid of this factor is going to be an uphill task, especially in our political scenario.

Azmi Hassan

“There’s nothing wrong to build a coalition tied to personalities if these personalities can bring warring parties together. And these personalities must also possess unwavering political principles accepted by all.

“In my opinion, to establish a grand coalition, we need something that can persuade all to work together, and personalities that are well respected is the way to go,” he said.

He also said it would be “quite impossible” for Pejuang, Warisan or Muda to take up Annuar’s proposal and join forces with them, although he acknowledged that Malaysian politics could always produce the unexpected.

“Nobody really expected Umno and PAS to work together, or Umno to support PPBM through PN, but again, the impossible happened because all entities have something to gain by joining forces.”

Oh said personality cults were unavoidable in any political makeup, particularly in developing countries like Malaysia that are transitioning to a “genuine” democracy.

“Political personas would inevitably loom large in the general political discourse. So it is at most a self-serving fantasy to talk about the political depersonalisation in a hastily cobbled-together coalition of convenience.”

Without such large and experienced political personas to rally support, he said, any coalition would probably crumble as quickly as it is established.

Annuar had mooted a “grand coalition” to unite the ummah (Arabic term for community), extending an invitation to other parties including Warisan, Pejuang and Muda to join forces.

In a Facebook post, Annuar said uniting the ummah should not just be limited to Malay-based parties Umno, PAS and PPBM, adding that he wanted to establish a grand coalition comprising more than 10 parties with the same direction.