Anwar has won the west; now the battle shifts to East Malaysia

 

GERAKAN has recently urged Perikatan Nasional (PN) to make a declaration that addresses the concerns of non-Malay communities and allay the fear that the non-Muslims have of PAS.

“So, let’s make a declaration that Bersatu defends the rights of the Malays and PAS the Muslims, but both will not interfere with the rights of other races,” party president Datuk Dominic Lau said during his speech at Gerakan’s 52nd convention.

“But now PAS says gambling, drinking alcohol and wearing shorts are forbidden. The (non-Muslims) fear being subjected to hudud laws. This is why non-Malays and non-Muslims are fearful of PAS.”

The way I see it, there are a few reasons why Lau has said what he has said.

The first reason is that he must be sensing that the Malays, who form the bulk of PN’s support, might be losing faith in PN and are inclining themselves to support Pakatan Harapan (PH) instead.

Seeing that the PN is losing support of the Malays, maybe Lau believes that PAS and the Bersatu might be inclined to attract the support of the non-Malays to boost their flagging fortunes.

Datuk Dominic Lau (Image credit: NST)

The second reason is that maybe Lau just doesn’t understand why PN speaks of such things as creating Islamic state and banning alcohol in the first place.

A coalition that is composed of a religiously inclined party like PAS and a Malay nationalist party like Bersatu cannot compete with PH parties like PKR or DAP on the basis of pluralism or multiculturalism which are both PH’s terrain.

If PN does do as Lau says and attempts to become more multiracial and pluralistic in order to court the non-Malay, it might be good for Gerakan, which is a junior party in PN, for it will raise Gerakan’s stature from being an extra to the supporting actor within PN.

However, what is the point of raising Gerakan’s stature if all it will end up doing is cause PN to go from being a flop to a box office disaster.

If PN is to become more multicultural and pluralistic, the party that will have to do the heavy lifting for PN’s transformation from a Malay-Muslim-centric coalition to a more multiracial coalition is Gerakan.

But the Chinese are not even giving face to MCA, their signature party since Independence, so what more can Gerakan expect?

Lau, however, is not the only person who still believes that PN still stands a chance to topple PH and rule the country in the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Prof P. Ramasamy, the former Penang deputy chief minister II, was also inexplicably optimistic that all it will take for PN to reverse its declining fortune is to make some overtures to the non-Malays, and the non-Malays will leave PH by the drove.

Ramasamy previously said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim remains entrapped in the ethnic and religious hegemony of the Malays, saying it is not that he is captive of the political circumstances but rather obsession with power and the vaulting ambition to stay in power has found a convenient route in race and religion.

He further noted that PN while standing for the ethnic and religious rights of the Malays are in better standing to woo the support of the non-Malays.

“I think the Indians are slowly warming up to the PN leadership although the Chinese are still reluctant,” he added.

Well, at least Ramasamy’s assessment had some semblance of realism in it, when he admitted that the Chinese are still reluctant to embrace PN.

I would rather term it as “the Chinese are allergic to embrace PN” but at least Ramasamy was willing to concede the fact that PN will likely have trouble in attracting the Chinese, even if it does do as Gerakan urges it to do and make a declaration that addresses the concerns of non-Malay communities.

As for Ramasamy’s view that the Indians are slowly warming up to PN’s leadership, I reckon it is mostly wishful thinking on his part than it is an accurate assessment of the situation on the ground.

Prof P. Ramasamy

PMX Anwar and PH might be fumbling through their reign every now and then but when push comes to shove, there is no one better to count on than Anwar and PH.

In any case, I believe that the Battle for Putrajaya between PH and PN that was ongoing for the last two years is over, with PH clearly coming out as the victor.

Khairy Jamaluddin might think that the impending two year’s anniversary celebration that the unity government has prepared in KLCC is an extravagant waste of fund, but I reckon that from the public’s perspective, PH has probably earned the right to throw itself party.

Even PN likely realises that all is lost against PH, and the only thing that PN can do for now is sue for peace or retreat to regroup.

In 2025 and 2026, the most important battle is the battle for the fate of the federation that Anwar and PH will be engaged with the parties of Sabah and Sarawak.

Since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned in 2002, a string of weak leaders in Putrajaya has emboldened the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak to formulate a separate destiny and carve a separate identity, which is threatening to break up the Federation.

Now that Anwar has proven himself to be a strong leader, it will be incumbent upon him to launch a Digvijaya to the East to temper Sabah and Sarawak’s separatists desire and unify the Federation.

When Anwar fights for the fate of the federation in the east in the coming years, Malaysians in Semenanjung are almost certainly going to rally behind him to support his efforts.

In this battle, PN, which has no part to play in the politics of East Malaysia, will likely be left even further behind by Anwar and PH, as Anwar and PH establish themselves as the only government that can be expected to rule and unify the Federation.  

Nehru Sathiamoorthy is a roving tutor who loves politics, philosophy and psychology.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.