To DAP from Umno with love: Red carpet or poisoned chalice

Rudyard Kipling, in his Barrack-room ballads, 1892 said "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Such is the situation now with DAP and Barisan Nasional in the Malaysian political ballads.

DAP as a political party is in essence based on multiracialism whereas Umno and MCA are wholly race-based political entities. No doubt Gerakan in its formative days started off as a multiracial party led by many promising intellectuals, but later on it was more perceived as a party representing the Chinese than the other races. In fact, MCA and Gerakan depended on Chinese votes to stay relevant in Malaysian politics. Yet, they could not survive without the support of other voting communities in many plebiscites. The Malays and other races did support these parties in the spirit of Malaysian camaraderie and Barisan Nasional.

Failing to make inroads into the Malay electoral bastions DAP was at one time inadvertently perceived as a Chinese-based party – thanks to the political manoeuvres by Umno through the mainstream media - and it had to depend much on one community votes to stay relevant. Today, though, with the dawn of Pakatan Rakyat DAP has managed to change its pre-conceived image and is more perceived as a moderate multi-racial political entity – thanks to Pas and PKR. The Pakatan Rakyat chemistry has brought about to a rejuvenated DAP and it has since grown to become a party well accepted by the other races – especially among the urban voters. Its political pragmatism in a multi-racial Malaysia after taking over Penang has made DAP all the rage among the educated electorate and the ordinary citizens.

DAP comes of age

DAP is blessed to be given a chance to govern Penang after the 2008 general election under Pakatan Rakyat and it has proven to the people that it can govern a state without fear, favour or without a self-seeking demeanour. The stress on accountability, transparency and competency as practised in the state government of Penang has won the hearts of many Malaysians. With surplus in state revenue due to assiduous political and economic management and acumen the state government has zero tolerance for corruption, cronyism and the wastage of taxpayers’ money. The governance of the state is based on frugal economic policies and wastage of taxpayers’ money is bare minimum. Politics to DAP is a serious business – a divine order of sort - to see that the country develops, the people taken care of, no corruption or nepotism and whatever business and social policies adopted by the political mangers must be accounted for. For this reason DAP has proven to be a leading light and an effective political entity under Pakatan Rakyat - spearheading the progress of Penang much to the envy of Gerakan, MCA and Umno.

DAP which was once perceived as a more Chinese-based party has now proven itself to represent the taste bud of all races. The present Penang government has made this dream come about though it would take considerable time to ensure the poor Malays and Indians catch up with the affluent and robust Chinese. All races are treated equal and the needy are helped irrespective of race or religion. In fact the DAP-led Penang government could do more if not because of the Umno led federal government making use of the mainstream media hitting and bad-mouthing the state government for the very reason that it is under the stewardship of a DAP ethnic Chinese.

But danger lurks

To Pas and the general Malays the perception of DAP is quite judicious. Penang even before Pakatan Rakyat was led by chief minsters of ethnic Chinese. It is not an out of the ordinary issue now when the chief minister is of ethnic Chinese under Pakatan Rakyat. The fact that the present chief minister is doing a far superior job has envied Umno and Barisan Nasional but not Pas, PKR or the general Malays. Instead of engaging with the Opposition ruled states, the Barisan led federal government has shown its smugness and haughtiness by routinely distorting and manipulating issues relating to this state and its leadership through the mainstream media. Thanks the alternative media that this self-indulgent strategy has failed to work and it has in fact backfired badly on Umno and Barisan Nasional.

There should not be any viable reason why DAP should now join Barisan Nasional when their political cultures are diametrically conflicting. The ingrained political culture in Barisan Nasional has a gulf of disparity with that of DAP. The latter seeks answerability, clearness and aptitude in governance at all costs. The former, despite helming the country for 54 years, have not shown the same temerity and audacity. Feudalism, politics of patronage and political culture have inhibited Umno from getting out of its grimy opinionated chamber.

DAP for that matter, is going to lose more than Umno and Barisan Nasional if it were to team up with Barisan Nasional. DAP for sure will have to be neutralised to cater to the self-seeking aspirations of Umno and its allies.

MCA, Gerakan mummified by UMNO

Pakatan Rakyat has now made a great impact on the Malaysian political scene. In the last general election held in 2008 BN only won 80 seats in West Malaysia. MCA managed to scrape through with 15 seats and Gerakan 1. According to political pundits MCA and Gerakan will lose almost all of the seats they contest in the next general election. There is every likelihood that the Pandan and Raub parliamentary seats presently held by MCA will be pocketed by DAP or Pakatan Rakyat allies in the next general election. Such is the pathetic dilemma faced by these two political entities – thanks to Umno and Perkasa.

MCA throughout its partnership in the Alliance and Barisan Nasional since independence has never once had the chance to govern a state, unlike Gerakan - formed in 1968 - that came into the coalition very much later. In fact before and after Gerakan won big in the 1969 general election many MCA leaders and members left the party to join former. Gerakan helmed Penang for almost four decades under three chief ministers - much to the envy of MCA – before it plunged into stupor.

Penangite reject BN loud and clear

In the 2008 general election BN only won 11 out of 40 state seats and two out of 13 federal seats in Penang - all by Umno. Gerakan, MCA and MIC were all whitewashed. After the grave political bashing Gerakan and MCA received in the 2008 general election the two parties have not fully healed from their cavernous gash. They were mangled stiff that Gerakan is now about to be mummified and become history in Malaysian politics. If truth be told, in Gerakan, also in MCA, only the few top leaders being cradled like saints by the main stream media are left in their parties when their disciples have long abandoned ship to support DAP, PKR and Pas. It looks like most Barisan Nasional component parties will be wiped out after the next general election. Umno itself will be half paralysed. As they say, a drowning man will grasp on to any straw he could get hold of – thus now the perceptible lure for DAP to join Barisan Nasional, sheepishly to form a unity government after they had failed to entice Pas before this.

Penang’s success is Pakatan’s success. DAP has proven to the people that governance is a matter of being honest to the taxpayers and it’s not just a matter of holding on to power that matters in germane politics. To serve with dignity and sincerity is what politics is all about to DAP. DAP is now becoming a political force to be reckoned with both in West Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah. It has more advantage than MCA as it’s a multi-racial party. DAP is now convincingly making its presence felt in Sarawak among the Sarawak Bumiputras. The Iban, Dayak and other indigenous people of Sarawak are free to join DAP for its multi-racialism. DAP in fact won an unprecedented 12 seats in the recent Sarawak state election. And conceivably, in the next general election Sarawak will see at least 8 to 12 seats falling to Pakatan Rakyat with DAP winning the most seats. This spillover effect will also be felt in Sabah and this will help Pakatan Rakyat’s component parties there to an unprecedented triumphant – snatching at least six parliamentary seats.

Learn from PAS

Lest some euphoric politicians forget, Pas became a member of the governing Barisan Nasional coalition for the first and only time, from 1973 to 1978. Following this exceptional move Pas was instantly neutralised from being more religious based to Malay nationalism. Both joining the BN coalition and moving away from religious-based policy platforms caused the party to lose support. Pas left Barisan Nasional with a bruised ego much to the delight of Umno. Barisan Nasional thenceforth took over Kelantan smoothly after a trifling coup de grace.

In 1982, Asri was ousted as Pas leader by the religious ulama faction of the party, to be replaced by Yusof Rawa. After Asri's tenure, Pas shifted to a more religious platform and it took Pas more than a decade after that to reinvent itself and make a political return as a pertinent Islamic party in the context of Malaysian politics to capture Kelantan back from Barisan Nasional. Such is the disposition in politics. Nevertheless, after the contusion Pas has since made a significant inroad in Malaysian politics and with its moderate deportment it has won the hearts of the Muslims and non-Muslims. DAP could take a cue from Pas on this historical reality.

Gerakan in Penang was not only neutralised but doomed by the racial and religious overtones by some Umno members and also by the electorate in Penang who were disgusted with the political smugness and superciliousness of Umno being the main player in Barisan Nasional. Politically being minor players, MCA and Gerakan could not cope with the present political inequality within Barisan Nasional.

Failing to “topple” the image of the state government and neutralise DAP through the media has perturbed Barisan Nasional. DAP’s popularity in many urban areas as well as in rural Sarawak has kept on escalating even with the continuous media onslaught to demean the party as racist and chauvinistic. This measure has in effect backfired on MCA, Gerakan and Umno. The people have now overtly rejected MCA and Gerakan. And the populace are also contemptuous of Umno under the previous and present leadership.

Poison chalice

And now, as reported, comes the pitch and hints by some Umno stalwarts that DAP should join Barisan National. This insinuates that MCA and Gerakan can no more deliver Chinese votes for Barisan Nasional. But then is this fix the making of Gerakan and MCA alone? Certainly not. The demise of MCA and Gerakan is significantly attributed to the racial politics played by Umno. Umno has generally been quiet on the many Umno and Perkasa members who have reviled the Chinese as ungrateful people and some calling names to degrade this ethnic group and their ancestors. Words like ungratefulness, prostitutes, greediness, kurang ajar and the picture-tearing scene of a Gerakan leader plus the controversial Interlok novel used in schools have hurt the Chinese feelings and the wise citizens the same. Perkasa’s continuous blitz on MCA and Gerakan has added salt to injury. The other races too are not happy with this hard-line approach to politics by Umno and its political affiliates.

The alleged DAP invite to join Barisan Nasional could apparently be designated to some hidden motives. Firstly, Umno cannot depend on MCA and Gerakan to deliver Chinese votes for Barisan Nasional in the next general election. They now need to court DAP to help deliver them the votes. Secondly, Umno and Barisan Nasional are seeing their downfall looming. Malay votes are spilt 50-50, Chinese votes are tilted towards the Opposition. This trend could see the end of BN in the next general election. Umno thus has no choice but to rope DAP into Barisan Nasional. Thirdly, DAP can be neutralised once they are in Barisan Nasional like what happened to Pas from 1973 to 1978. That would make DAP less popular among the voters especially those with an anti-establishment tendency. A loss to DAP will therefore be a gain for Umno.

Ostensibly, the two-coalition (party) political system Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat - in the country should remain as this portends well for the people who aspire for a more transparent and accountable scheme of governance. The people in reality clamour for no monopoly in political dominance.

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, the historian and moralist (1834–1902) expressed this opinion in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

We therefore need a two-coalition (party) system that is vibrant for the country to ensure that power does not lead to conceit and corruption and those “great” men the people have voted in do not abuse their positions as politicians.

- Malaysia Chronicle