The unending wave of Malaysian politics
By Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy
SOME of us might have thought that Barisan Nasional (BN) – after its defeat in the previous general election (GE14) – might have been the “last of the Mohicans”.
Maybe we are wrong and uncomfortable in our realisation that BN might not be the “lost tribe” that we had wished for.
The coalition that governed the country from the time of political independence until 2018 was brought crashing down by forces from within and without.
The multiracial Pakatan Harapan (Pakatan) coalition rose to the occasion of providing a difficult but a progressive alternative to Malaysia who were sick and tired of racial and religious politics.
However, the alternative coalition was neither given the time nor the room to establish itself under the infamous scheming former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim merely waited on the side lines to assume the coveted post although it never went to him despite the promises made.
I often wonder whether Mahathir’s ascension to power was not just to prevent kleptocrats from assuming power but also to thwart Anwar’s ambition.
Much water has passed under the bridge since the nefarious Sheraton Move that turned the country upside down and the question in the minds of Malaysians is whether the “lost tribe” headed by UMNO would be able to make a comeback in national politics.
The second question is whether BN would be able to win the upcoming general election (GE15). Despite its loss in the previous election the party has made a steady comeback to the realm of national politics.
The coalition’s victories in a number of by-elections, followed by victories in the state by-elections in Melaka and Johor, were clearly indications that the coalition we thought had been eclipsed by others – particularly Pakatan – was a political force to be reckoned with.
Whether it is engaged in the most regressive forms of politics or not, the coalition seems to be unwittingly palatable to certain groups of Malaysians.
Maybe Pakatan could not perform under the perilous circumstances of Mahathir’s stewardship, but nonetheless, the coalition paid dearly.
Right or wrong, people are tired of all the political instability and want a Government that is stable and long-lived; even though it doesn’t necessarily have to be BN.
BN might fit the description of what the people want, but whether they were willing to forget the coalition’s past misdeeds would have to be tested in GE15.
It is not about BN vying for power to form the next government but about the people wanting to move forward, thus begging the question: What kind of government is BN going to offer?
There are no indications that the BN coalition has changed for the better. In fact, the coalition might be even worse with the myriad unresolved baggage of corruption and financial misdeeds, while those involved in major corruption cases have yet to be prosecuted.
The push for an early GE15 seems to come from those who are fearful of being found guilty for their crimes.
If BN emerge victorious in GE15, there are even doubts that the UMNO leaders from the court cluster would be prosecuted.
Having said this, the call for an early GE15 is based on the need to save their own hides rather than for the benefit of the country.
In the most unfortunate sense, BN seems to be deriving its political nourishment from race and religion and it is this mantra that was tried and perfected over the years.
I doubt the coalition has fundamentally changed its political direction or its source of political nourishment. Rather, it is the same old BN coalition that will repeat its mistakes under the guidance of UMNO, the prime architect of the country’s present malaise.
There are no indications that BN is a changed coalition under the diabolical leadership of UMNO, and if BN wins GE15, there might possibly be a continuation of racial and religious politics in worse forms.
However, it is important to point out that this does not mean that Pakatan has given up, as it is an uphill task to unseat BN on popular terrains of race and religion.
But one thing for sure is that Pakatan must be given credit for defeating BN in GE14 in what was previously something unthinkable and unimaginable.
This is a sure indicator that BN is not invincible, and that under the right and propitious circumstances there is an opportunity for the re-emergence of progressive politics in the country.
However, periodic general elections are battles that might be won and lost. What is more important now is to keep the battle alive to ultimately win the war against racist and religious obscurantism to uphold the never-ending quest for democracy, justice and human dignity. – June 10, 2022
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
SOME of us might have thought that Barisan Nasional (BN) – after its defeat in the previous general election (GE14) – might have been the “last of the Mohicans”.
Maybe we are wrong and uncomfortable in our realisation that BN might not be the “lost tribe” that we had wished for.
The coalition that governed the country from the time of political independence until 2018 was brought crashing down by forces from within and without.
The multiracial Pakatan Harapan (Pakatan) coalition rose to the occasion of providing a difficult but a progressive alternative to Malaysia who were sick and tired of racial and religious politics.
However, the alternative coalition was neither given the time nor the room to establish itself under the infamous scheming former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim merely waited on the side lines to assume the coveted post although it never went to him despite the promises made.
I often wonder whether Mahathir’s ascension to power was not just to prevent kleptocrats from assuming power but also to thwart Anwar’s ambition.
Much water has passed under the bridge since the nefarious Sheraton Move that turned the country upside down and the question in the minds of Malaysians is whether the “lost tribe” headed by UMNO would be able to make a comeback in national politics.
The second question is whether BN would be able to win the upcoming general election (GE15). Despite its loss in the previous election the party has made a steady comeback to the realm of national politics.
The coalition’s victories in a number of by-elections, followed by victories in the state by-elections in Melaka and Johor, were clearly indications that the coalition we thought had been eclipsed by others – particularly Pakatan – was a political force to be reckoned with.
Whether it is engaged in the most regressive forms of politics or not, the coalition seems to be unwittingly palatable to certain groups of Malaysians.
Maybe Pakatan could not perform under the perilous circumstances of Mahathir’s stewardship, but nonetheless, the coalition paid dearly.
Right or wrong, people are tired of all the political instability and want a Government that is stable and long-lived; even though it doesn’t necessarily have to be BN.
BN might fit the description of what the people want, but whether they were willing to forget the coalition’s past misdeeds would have to be tested in GE15.
It is not about BN vying for power to form the next government but about the people wanting to move forward, thus begging the question: What kind of government is BN going to offer?
There are no indications that the BN coalition has changed for the better. In fact, the coalition might be even worse with the myriad unresolved baggage of corruption and financial misdeeds, while those involved in major corruption cases have yet to be prosecuted.
The push for an early GE15 seems to come from those who are fearful of being found guilty for their crimes.
If BN emerge victorious in GE15, there are even doubts that the UMNO leaders from the court cluster would be prosecuted.
Having said this, the call for an early GE15 is based on the need to save their own hides rather than for the benefit of the country.
In the most unfortunate sense, BN seems to be deriving its political nourishment from race and religion and it is this mantra that was tried and perfected over the years.
I doubt the coalition has fundamentally changed its political direction or its source of political nourishment. Rather, it is the same old BN coalition that will repeat its mistakes under the guidance of UMNO, the prime architect of the country’s present malaise.
There are no indications that BN is a changed coalition under the diabolical leadership of UMNO, and if BN wins GE15, there might possibly be a continuation of racial and religious politics in worse forms.
However, it is important to point out that this does not mean that Pakatan has given up, as it is an uphill task to unseat BN on popular terrains of race and religion.
But one thing for sure is that Pakatan must be given credit for defeating BN in GE14 in what was previously something unthinkable and unimaginable.
This is a sure indicator that BN is not invincible, and that under the right and propitious circumstances there is an opportunity for the re-emergence of progressive politics in the country.
However, periodic general elections are battles that might be won and lost. What is more important now is to keep the battle alive to ultimately win the war against racist and religious obscurantism to uphold the never-ending quest for democracy, justice and human dignity. – June 10, 2022
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
No comments:
Post a Comment