We need a ruling coalition with a dominant party, says Zaid

We need a ruling coalition with a dominant party, says Zaid

Zaid Ibrahim says splitting the seats among too many small parties was a recipe for disaster.


PETALING JAYA: A former federal minister said only a government with a dominant party will be effective in bringing about changes and be able to successfully run the country.

Zaid Ibrahim said the country cannot be effectively run by a government made up of a coalition of small parties.

Speaking on “The Future of Malaysian Politics” on Great People TV today, the former law minister said: “This country has problems of many complexities such as race, religion, social issues, and historical issues, and it can only be run by a party with a very dominant voice.

“What we have learned from the last general election (GE14) is that an aggregation of small parties cannot run this country. Which party can get close to 100 seats?”

Zaid said splitting the seats among too many small parties was a recipe for disaster.

He said in GE14, the “aggregation of small parties called Pakatan Harapan” (PH) should have been able to do better had they consolidated, but they did not do so.

He said Umno had the best potential to effect necessary changes in the country due to its existing dominant size and because it was well entrenched in many ways.

“Umno has the numbers and the people. It’s just a matter of whether the leadership wants to change. But they don’t (want to change).”

However, it would be more challenging for smaller parties such as Muda and Pejuang or an aggregation of smaller parties to effect changes in the country, he said.

As for PAS, he said the party might have the numbers but it would be hard for it to effect necessary changes because it was led by the ulama (religious leaders).

Asked by the interviewer about the upcoming Johor state elections, Zaid said: “I think Umno will be very comfortable in the coming Johor polls because the issues are less complicated in Johor.”

Johor will go to the polls on March 12 with early voting taking place on March 8, and nomination day set for Feb 26.

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kt comments:

Two days ago I wrote the following comments in
Bad for PH to delay naming Johor MB candidate, say academics. I reckon it may be worthwhile republishing those comments here for your perusal in relationship to Zaid's comments above:

In a coalition where the component parties have equal strength it's very difficult to name any appointee early as there will invariably arise, especially in Malaysia, internecine war and sabotage - ambitious people are reluctant to accede to rivals especially if from another component party - thus they will sabo kau kau.

That has been why Pakatan, since its inception as a broad coalition (Pakatan Rakyat days), could NOT or was reluctant to have a shadow cabinet - it waffled here and there, kerbau north to south, mumbled from top to bottom, and came up with numerous ministerial committees (made up of members from every component party) for every ministerial portfolio instead of a 'Shadow Minister' each. It was basically signalling to the World that it not only could not agree on the appointees but lack a strong leader, thus fearing teflon-ised internal coalition sabotage, wakakaka (Ass-binte was damn Machiavellian-ly brilliant on this aspect).

Only when a loose coalition like Pakatan Harapan had a stern strong dictator at its top like Atuk, would the pact be able to work normally as a strong adhesive coalition like BN once was - yes, even BN today lacks that cohesiveness. And that has been precisely how Atuk with a mere 13 MPs could dictated to the 42-strong DAP and 47-strong PKR, where both kuai kuai obeyed, wakakaka - what a F-up the Lims were.