Perikatan Nasional is still far from a credible government-in-waiting

 Malaysia faces intricate global and domestic headwinds that demand rigorous intellectual debate. By choosing rhetorical fireworks over structural alternatives, the opposition is letting down those it aims to represent.

From Moaz Nair

In any healthy democracy, a vibrant opposition is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

Its role extends far beyond merely opposing the government of the day. It must act as a credible government-in-waiting, offering a distinct, actionable alternative vision for the nation’s progress.

Unfortunately, in contemporary Malaysian politics, the federal opposition — represented by Perikatan Nasional (PN) — is falling drastically short of this democratic mandate.

In the eyes of ordinary citizens, they are increasingly failing to project the image of a responsible, cohesive team capable of governing.

Instead of elevating national discourse, recent parliamentary sessions have frequently devolved into political circuses.

Rather than acting as serious lawmakers, some opposition figures have behaved more like clowns, relying on histrionics, disruptions, and shouting matches to capture headlines.

Consider the chaotic session during the 2026 Supply Bill debate, which descended into an embarrassing shouting match.

The Dewan Rakyat witnessed the unseemly spectacle of opposition members trading insults like “gila” (crazy) and “mabuk” (drunk) with a government backbencher over religious rhetoric concerning alcohol, ultimately leading to an opposition MP being ejected from the august House.

Deficit of substance

The opposition’s core problem lies in a severe deficit of substance. A constructive opposition should serve as a vital check on power by scrutinising legislation, advocating for fiscal discipline, and consistently raising structured concerns regarding governance, transparency, and inflation.

While PN is quick to criticise the current administration’s landmark policy decisions — such as the highly contentious targeted rationalisation of fuel and electricity subsidies and the introduction of digital and carbon taxes — their criticisms often exist in a vacuum.

When civil society and economic think tanks called on PN to present a costed alternative framework to address middle-class cost-of-living pressures, the response was telling.

The opposition leadership flatly dismissed the necessity of drawing up an alternative national budget, calling the exercise “syok sendiri” (self-indulgent) because it would have no chance of being implemented by the current government.

This defeatist stance reveals a fatal misunderstanding of the opposition’s purpose. It is easy to point out a leak in the roof; it is much harder to present the architectural blueprint to fix it.

This lack of policy depth is directly tied to the underutilisation and internal instability of PN’s own structures.

Although the coalition established portfolio committees to function as a shadow cabinet, key leaders have come under heavy fire for failing to drive substantive policy debates or introduce impactful private members’ bills.

The opposition has been sharply criticised for failing to produce a counter-economic blueprint, focusing instead on reactive politics.

Meanwhile, the opposition’s structural credibility took an unprecedented hit when the Registrar of Societies (RoS) cancelled Perikatan Nasional’s registration following fierce infighting between PAS and Bersatu, with top figures in Bersatu publicly blasting the coalition leadership for failing to manage the bloc with democratic principles and transparency.

Over-reliance on identity politics

Compounding this policy vacuum is PN’s over-reliance on identity politics. Analysts have repeatedly noted that the opposition disproportionately prioritises divisive racial and religious rhetoric over concrete economic solutions.

While proponents argue that this positions PN as the champion of a conservative, nationalist vision for Malaysia, this narrow focus inherently alienates the nation’s diverse, multi-ethnic electorate.

A vision built purely on identity cannot resolve currency fluctuations, fix the healthcare system, or improve the quality of education.

Malaysia faces complex global and domestic headwinds that demand rigorous intellectual debate. By choosing rhetorical fireworks over structural alternatives, the federal opposition is letting down the very citizens it aims to represent.

To become a credible alternative government, PN must move past the circus acts, put its shadow cabinet to work, resolve its internal chaos, and prove to Malaysians that they can govern with intellect rather than identity and empty rhetoric. - FMT

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT