No room for 'two tigers' if Malay wave shifts power back to Umno, Pas - Analyst
Under such a scenario, Umno was expected to emerge as the number one political force, with Pas in second place.
By NOOR AINON MOHAMED
11 Aug 2026 10:21am
By NOOR AINON MOHAMED
11 Aug 2026 10:21am
Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot both emerge as the dominant political force in Malaysia at the same time.
SHAH ALAM – Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot emerge as dominant powers at the same time in Malaysia if a major wave of Malay voter support occurs in the next general election.
Political analyst Dr James Chin said that under such a scenario, Umno was expected to emerge as the number one political force, with Pas in second place.
He said the situation would not prevent the two parties from sharing power in the government, but the key question would be who controls the prime minister’s post.
“It is impossible to have two dominant powers in Malaysia at the same time, as the Chinese proverb says, there cannot be two tigers on one mountain.
“If there is a Malay tsunami in the next general election, Umno will be in first place while Pas will be in second,” the University of Tasmania, Australia professor told Sinar.
Chin said that in Malaysia’s political system, the prime minister’s post was the most important position as it wielded significant influence over the distribution of government contracts and political patronage networks.
“In a situation involving BN and PN or Umno and Pas, they could simply divide the important ministries among themselves.
“However, there is no denying that Umno wants the prime minister’s seat and Pas would not be able to prevent Umno from securing the position,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the election outcome would not necessarily put both parties on an equal footing in terms of political influence, particularly among Malay voters in rural areas.
James said that although Pas could potentially win more seats, Umno or BN had an advantage in terms of experience in administering the Federal Government.
“In negotiations to form a government, Umno has more extensive experience in the Federal Government as the party governed the Federal Government from 1957 to 2018.
“Pas is also aware that if it takes over the prime minister’s post, there will be considerable dissatisfaction among the Malay community as a whole, as well as among non-Malays and the people of Borneo,” he said.
SHAH ALAM – Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot emerge as dominant powers at the same time in Malaysia if a major wave of Malay voter support occurs in the next general election.
Political analyst Dr James Chin said that under such a scenario, Umno was expected to emerge as the number one political force, with Pas in second place.
He said the situation would not prevent the two parties from sharing power in the government, but the key question would be who controls the prime minister’s post.
“It is impossible to have two dominant powers in Malaysia at the same time, as the Chinese proverb says, there cannot be two tigers on one mountain.
“If there is a Malay tsunami in the next general election, Umno will be in first place while Pas will be in second,” the University of Tasmania, Australia professor told Sinar.
Chin said that in Malaysia’s political system, the prime minister’s post was the most important position as it wielded significant influence over the distribution of government contracts and political patronage networks.
“In a situation involving BN and PN or Umno and Pas, they could simply divide the important ministries among themselves.
“However, there is no denying that Umno wants the prime minister’s seat and Pas would not be able to prevent Umno from securing the position,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the election outcome would not necessarily put both parties on an equal footing in terms of political influence, particularly among Malay voters in rural areas.
James said that although Pas could potentially win more seats, Umno or BN had an advantage in terms of experience in administering the Federal Government.
“In negotiations to form a government, Umno has more extensive experience in the Federal Government as the party governed the Federal Government from 1957 to 2018.
“Pas is also aware that if it takes over the prime minister’s post, there will be considerable dissatisfaction among the Malay community as a whole, as well as among non-Malays and the people of Borneo,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment