POLITICS - MALAYSIA: Two-Party System Taking Shape
Analysis by Baradan Kuppusamy
KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 8 (IPS) - Following its big gains in the Mar. 8 polls, Malaysia's once disparate opposition, led by the charismatic former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, has forged a formal coalition capable of taking on the ruling 14-party National Front (NF) coalition.
The move is hailed by pro-democracy activists as the first step in the creation of a viable two-party political system, probably the first stable, working system in South-east Asia.
Malaysia's politics since independence in 1957 has been dominated by the monolithic National Front, a grouping of mostly race-based political parties dominated and led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
In the March polls voters dealt the NF a severe blow. The coalition lost five state governments and its vaunted two-thirds majority in parliament after voters, angry with the arrogance of the NF leaders and corruption, voted opposition disregarding race or religion.
Political analysts are now unsure whether the NF can ever recover from such a beating, with some predicting it would gradually disappear from the political scene because in the new Malaysia race and religion are no longer the key issues.
On Sunday, at a party gathering to explain the electoral debacle, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is also UMNO president, and his predecessor in office Dr. Mahathir Mohamad traded allegations in an acrimonious and damaging display of disunity.
Using language that echoed opposition charges Mahathir accused Badawi of corruption and running a weak government that resulted in the electoral defeat. "We have never had such a bad election result in our history and we are supposed to support these people who led to the defeat so they can completely destroy the party?"
Badawi hit back by saying that UMNO’s troubles, including nepotism and corruption, originated during Mahathir’s time.
In such a scenario the bets are with the new opposition coalition, called Pakatan Rakyat or People’s Front (PF), consisting of three once disparate opposition political parties, but persuaded by Ibrahim to show a united face with a common agenda.
Top leaders of the three political parties -- the multiracial People’s Justice Party led by Ibrahim, the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party or PAS -- announced their formal coming together last week.
"It is a first step and there are many challenges ahead but please bear with us," Ibrahim told IPS in an interview. "The Pakatan Rakyat will consolidate the cooperation between the three parties. We will have a common agenda based on human rights, justice and corruption free government."
"The Pakatan Rakyat pledges to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians, regardless of religion or race, as enshrined in the constitution," he said, adding that common themes will be implemented immediately in the five states that the opposition now rules.
Ibrahim said the coalition will hold a major convention later this month to work out the details, agenda and political ideology of the new grouping.
It will be led by the leaders of all the three political parties who are of equal status and under a collective leadership. A joint secretariat consisting of three leaders from each of the three parties will manage the new coalition.
It is understood that the PF will accept as member any political party that subscribes to its common theme and agenda, including from the ruling National Front some of whose members are keen to go to cross the floor to the opposition to regain lost ground.
The coalition partners, although dissimilar in aims and ambitions -- one being secular and the other Islamic -- have agreed to put aside their differences and struggle for common principles like human rights, justice, corruption free government and democracy.
Political experts say the new PF presents the general public a credible alternative to the present ruling coalition. They say the forging of a loose coalition into a formidable PF entity is also a personal triumph for Ibrahim whose negotiation skills and consensus building leadership style helped erase fears and brought the rival groups together.
Malaysia's opposition has been divided for many years because the Islamic PAS and the secular DAP could never agree over PAS’ stated aim of setting up an Islamic theocracy. However, Ibrahim forged an alliance based on basic principles that both Islamists and secularists could agree on such as freedom, justice and democracy.
Ibrahim argues that the PAS stand on an Islamic state would not sink the new alliance. "It is not an issue as far as we are concerned. Nobody mentioned it, talked about or campaigned or it," he said.
Chinese leader Lim Kit Siang said: "It's the next logical next step after the Mar. 8 political tsunami in order to bring about the changes that the people want. This People’s Front is a response to the clear and unmistakable message from the people - that they want change, justice, freedom and fairness."
In the polls, the ruling coalition won 140 seats in the new 222-seat parliament against 199 in the outgoing 219-seat parliament. The opposition coalition won 82 seats compared to just 20 in the previous parliament. It also won five state governments.
The new opposition coalition has pledged to get abolished all unjust and discriminatory laws, especially the Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial for any number of years.
It would also abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act which restricts academic freedom, and the Official Secrets Act which restricts government information and punishes journalists who expose official corruption.
Other measures are to overhaul the one-sided Election Commission, make the Anti- Corruption Agency truly independent (currently it come under the Prime Minister's department) and revamp the judiciary and make it free.
Public reaction to the formation of the People’s Front has been tremendous going by the numerous letters of support in the media. But many worry whether the Front can overcome the race and religious challenges that lie ahead.
"They have come together in the euphoria of victory but the scars are all there, only they have agreed to bury them," said one letter by Vincent Lim in ‘The Star’ daily. "The fundamental differences between Islamist and secularists will likely erupt once the euphoria dies down and reality sets in."
However some readers are euphoric.
"If a two-party system emerges it would spell the end of communal politics once and for all," said reader James Low in the forum on Malaysiakini.com, an independent online news magazine. "With racism in check, we can proudly claim that diversity is our strength."
Analysis by Baradan Kuppusamy
KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 8 (IPS) - Following its big gains in the Mar. 8 polls, Malaysia's once disparate opposition, led by the charismatic former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, has forged a formal coalition capable of taking on the ruling 14-party National Front (NF) coalition.
The move is hailed by pro-democracy activists as the first step in the creation of a viable two-party political system, probably the first stable, working system in South-east Asia.
Malaysia's politics since independence in 1957 has been dominated by the monolithic National Front, a grouping of mostly race-based political parties dominated and led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
In the March polls voters dealt the NF a severe blow. The coalition lost five state governments and its vaunted two-thirds majority in parliament after voters, angry with the arrogance of the NF leaders and corruption, voted opposition disregarding race or religion.
Political analysts are now unsure whether the NF can ever recover from such a beating, with some predicting it would gradually disappear from the political scene because in the new Malaysia race and religion are no longer the key issues.
On Sunday, at a party gathering to explain the electoral debacle, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is also UMNO president, and his predecessor in office Dr. Mahathir Mohamad traded allegations in an acrimonious and damaging display of disunity.
Using language that echoed opposition charges Mahathir accused Badawi of corruption and running a weak government that resulted in the electoral defeat. "We have never had such a bad election result in our history and we are supposed to support these people who led to the defeat so they can completely destroy the party?"
Badawi hit back by saying that UMNO’s troubles, including nepotism and corruption, originated during Mahathir’s time.
In such a scenario the bets are with the new opposition coalition, called Pakatan Rakyat or People’s Front (PF), consisting of three once disparate opposition political parties, but persuaded by Ibrahim to show a united face with a common agenda.
Top leaders of the three political parties -- the multiracial People’s Justice Party led by Ibrahim, the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party or PAS -- announced their formal coming together last week.
"It is a first step and there are many challenges ahead but please bear with us," Ibrahim told IPS in an interview. "The Pakatan Rakyat will consolidate the cooperation between the three parties. We will have a common agenda based on human rights, justice and corruption free government."
"The Pakatan Rakyat pledges to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians, regardless of religion or race, as enshrined in the constitution," he said, adding that common themes will be implemented immediately in the five states that the opposition now rules.
Ibrahim said the coalition will hold a major convention later this month to work out the details, agenda and political ideology of the new grouping.
It will be led by the leaders of all the three political parties who are of equal status and under a collective leadership. A joint secretariat consisting of three leaders from each of the three parties will manage the new coalition.
It is understood that the PF will accept as member any political party that subscribes to its common theme and agenda, including from the ruling National Front some of whose members are keen to go to cross the floor to the opposition to regain lost ground.
The coalition partners, although dissimilar in aims and ambitions -- one being secular and the other Islamic -- have agreed to put aside their differences and struggle for common principles like human rights, justice, corruption free government and democracy.
Political experts say the new PF presents the general public a credible alternative to the present ruling coalition. They say the forging of a loose coalition into a formidable PF entity is also a personal triumph for Ibrahim whose negotiation skills and consensus building leadership style helped erase fears and brought the rival groups together.
Malaysia's opposition has been divided for many years because the Islamic PAS and the secular DAP could never agree over PAS’ stated aim of setting up an Islamic theocracy. However, Ibrahim forged an alliance based on basic principles that both Islamists and secularists could agree on such as freedom, justice and democracy.
Ibrahim argues that the PAS stand on an Islamic state would not sink the new alliance. "It is not an issue as far as we are concerned. Nobody mentioned it, talked about or campaigned or it," he said.
Chinese leader Lim Kit Siang said: "It's the next logical next step after the Mar. 8 political tsunami in order to bring about the changes that the people want. This People’s Front is a response to the clear and unmistakable message from the people - that they want change, justice, freedom and fairness."
In the polls, the ruling coalition won 140 seats in the new 222-seat parliament against 199 in the outgoing 219-seat parliament. The opposition coalition won 82 seats compared to just 20 in the previous parliament. It also won five state governments.
The new opposition coalition has pledged to get abolished all unjust and discriminatory laws, especially the Internal Security Act which allows for detention without trial for any number of years.
It would also abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act which restricts academic freedom, and the Official Secrets Act which restricts government information and punishes journalists who expose official corruption.
Other measures are to overhaul the one-sided Election Commission, make the Anti- Corruption Agency truly independent (currently it come under the Prime Minister's department) and revamp the judiciary and make it free.
Public reaction to the formation of the People’s Front has been tremendous going by the numerous letters of support in the media. But many worry whether the Front can overcome the race and religious challenges that lie ahead.
"They have come together in the euphoria of victory but the scars are all there, only they have agreed to bury them," said one letter by Vincent Lim in ‘The Star’ daily. "The fundamental differences between Islamist and secularists will likely erupt once the euphoria dies down and reality sets in."
However some readers are euphoric.
"If a two-party system emerges it would spell the end of communal politics once and for all," said reader James Low in the forum on Malaysiakini.com, an independent online news magazine. "With racism in check, we can proudly claim that diversity is our strength."
No comments:
Post a Comment