Moving towards a dual party system

The outcome of the 2008 polls has proven that the Malays are ready for a two-party system going into the 13th general election.

COMMENT

Since the 2008 general election, the voting trend in Malaysia is moving towards a two-party system. Judging from the results of the 12th general election, we can deduce that the popularity of the Barisan Nasional (BN) as a political entity is waning.

People are fed up with the gross and massive abuses of power by Umno leaders and government.

In the 2008 parliamentary election, BN won only 140 seats compared with 198 in the 2004 polls.

The Pakatan Rakyat coalition of DAP, PAS and PKR wrested 82 seats from BN in 2008. Pakatan saw a marked increase from 20 in the 204 polls.

But if you look at the 2008 results in the Malay-majority constituencies, it is obvious that there is a shift towards the community wanting a two-Malay party system.

In the 2008 polls, Umno won 79 seats while PKR and PAS collectively won 54 seats.

Although it should be said that some PKR wins were in Chinese-Indian majority areas, the results are indicative of the Malays gearing towards a two-Malay party system.

There are 222 parliamentary seats in the country and 133 of them are Malay seats.

Dismantle Umno hegemony

Since the total Malay-majority constituencies in the Peninsula (not including the Malay constituencies in Sarawak and Sabah) stand at slightly more than half of the total 222 seats, the major split between the BN and the opposition is in fact essentially a split between the Malay-based parties in the Peninsula.

The voting trend hence indicates that the election system is moving towards a two-party system in the country and the Malays are for a two-Malay party system.

The minority non-Malay parties then have the choice of joining and forming a coalition government with either of the two – Umno or any of the Malay Pakatan parties.

This now gives all non-Malay minority parties in the Peninsula – be they BN partners such as MIC, MCA, Gerakan, PPP or even opposition DAP – and in Sarawak an opportunity to decide whether they want to remain in BN or move into a new pact with the opposition.

But unlike the BN entity which establishes hegemonic power for Umno over the other parties, a two-party coalition is a loose entity where partners can come and leave depending on circumstances.

Smaller parties like MCA, MIC and parties from Sarawak and Sabah can also join either one of the two – BN or Pakatan – on the national level.

With a coalition system, the domineering politics or hegemony by Umno can be done away with.

Time for bold change

In Sarawak, the existing BN partners would have to rethink their role in the coalition which is mirroring Umno’s role in the Peninsula.

For parties such as Taib Mahmud’s Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and native-based Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) as well as Sarawak Progressive Democratice Party (SPDP), this is the chance to join either one of the two – BN or Pakatan – to form a coalition government at the national level.

Such a free political choice will ensure a fairer system of government than that offered by a rigid BN now.

It’s time for a big and bold change.

Awang Abdillah is a political observer and a veteran journalist in Sarawak. He is an FMT columnist.