Malay unity guarantees stability a ‘myth’, says analyst

 Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri says history and the BN-PN experience show that a shared identity is not enough to sustain political cooperation.

Analyst Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said a renewed BN-PN pact cannot be regarded as a guarantee of political stability.

PETALING JAYA:

An analyst has dismissed the claim that Malay unity automatically guarantees political stability, describing it as a “myth” unsupported by history.

Commenting on a statement by Wawasan president Hamzah Zainudin, Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said history showed that the opposite was true.

The Global Asia Consulting analyst said Malay parties could cooperate or split and clash again even without DAP or pressure from non-Malay parties.

“We are really looking for the easiest scapegoat so that we do not have to confront our own failures,” he told FMT.

Hamzah Zainudin.

Hamzah, who is also Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman, was quoted in an interview with FMT as saying Malay unity was vital to ensure political stability and allow the country to focus on a shared economic agenda.

Hamzah, the opposition leader, also said non-Malays should not fear a united Malay community, as unity among the majority could bring peace and allow the country to move forward.

Zaharuddin cited PAS’s expulsion from Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1977, followed by the Umno crisis 10 years later and the party being declared illegal the following year, as well as the emergence of Parti Semangat 46 and the “reformasi” movement.

He said the formation of PKR, Bersatu and Amanah, as well as the collapse of Muafakat Nasional, showed that Malay political cooperation did not necessarily last.

“No single party can be blamed for the entire history of Malay politics,” he said.

BN and PN have governed together

Zaharuddin said the post-GE14 administrations provided the clearest evidence that the unity of Malay parties did not guarantee stability.

He said BN and PN were part of the same government under the administrations of Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob from March 2020 to October 2022.

However, he said the cooperation failed to produce a lasting political formula, as struggles over power, positions and seats continued to test relations between the parties.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.

He said their cooperation in the recent Negeri Sembilan election was also opposed by some grassroots members, citing objections by 16 Umno branches to a PN candidate in Klawang despite the political understanding between the coalitions.

He said this showed that an agreement at the leadership level did not necessarily eliminate competition and dissatisfaction among grassroots members.

Therefore, he said, a renewed BN-PN pact could not be regarded as a guarantee of political stability.

“The important questions are: united under whom? For what purpose? With what agenda? After uniting, what will change in the lives of the people?” he said.

Unity requires an agenda

Zaharuddin said political unity would bring no benefit if its sole purpose was to defeat DAP or fearmonger voters with threats posed by other communities.

He said such an approach would not produce policies to address economic and educational problems, social mobility or institutional weaknesses.

“If DAP disappears tomorrow, do not be too confident that the Malays will remain united. We may simply look for a new enemy the following day.

“The problem is not who our enemy is, but why we need an enemy to unite us,” he said.

He said unity that depended on the existence of an enemy was not genuine unity, but fear disguised as solidarity.

Zaharuddin said genuine stability came from leaders who offered a clear economic agenda, stronger institutions and solutions to the people’s problems.

He said shifts in support during several elections also proved that Malay voters were not a fixed bloc driven solely by identity-based sentiments.

Instead, he said, Malay voters were capable of assessing performance, punishing parties and giving others an opportunity.

“Malays do not need DAP to become divided. Malays are perfectly capable of doing so themselves,” he said. - FMT