Umno losing moderation from decades of rule, says academic

Johan Saravanamuttu says the party had implemented moderate and inclusive policies in the past.

Senior fellow Johan Saravanamuttu of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

SHAH ALAM: An academic today highlighted the danger in allowing a political party to govern for too long, warning that it would begin to implement one-sided policies to maintain its rule.

Johan Saravanamuttu, who is senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said this could be happening in Umno, which he claimed had implemented moderate and inclusive policies in the past.

“After 60 years of rule from one party, we are fraying at the seams as far as moderation and multiculturalism goes,” he said during a roundtable discussion on promoting multiculturalism at Institut Darul Ehsan here today.

Johan said it was not enough for Umno to lose power as whoever came to power next must be able to maintain it for at least a following term.

“Pakatan Harapan must not only win, but it must stay in the government for at least another term for there to be an electoral balance in order to continue policies of moderation,” he said. -FMT