KUALA LUMPUR – With no one party or coalition expected to win the next general election on its own, it only makes perfect sense that Pakatan Harapan (PH) would leave its doors open to any possible cooperation, according to political observers.
They claimed that the coalition’s decision to adopt a “big tent” approach signals its willingness to work together with other parties to form a government after the polls, with some stating that this is the clearest indication yet of a potential partnership with Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Speculations have been rife in recent weeks that those in the top echelons of PKR and Umno have been warming up to each other, despite the expected protests from certain quarters from within.
If PH and Umno can iron out their differences, the analysts believe the “pact” should be able to obtain enough seats to take over Putrajaya, not inclusive of other parties from East Malaysia, as well as the likes of Muda and Pejuang.
“They have a better chance at taking federal power than the alternative of Perikatan Nasional and PAS, an alliance that is looking increasingly likely to happen ahead of the polls,” National Council of Professors senior fellow Prof Jeniri Amir told The Vibes today.
“In fact, I think PH and Umno have no other choice but to cooperate, as they can’t garner enough seats to win the election alone. And nothing is impossible at the moment. Who expected Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to work together in the last polls?”
Jeniri said the biggest hurdle remains convincing DAP to get on board, with many of its leaders having made it explicitly clear before that they are not keen to work with Umno.
The Universiti Malaysia Sarawak academician was commenting on PH’s announcement on Saturday that it is adopting the big tent approach to unify Malaysians regardless of political affiliation, reiterating the need to engage and cooperate with any party for the benefit of the rakyat.
Jeniri said adopting this approach should be the way forward for Malaysian politics in order to move away from the conventional rhetoric of race and religion, but questioned if the public will buy into the idea.
“The idea is good, but is it doable? Maybe the young generation, urban voters will have no problem accepting and adopting it. But I’m afraid in the rural areas, they may not have the political literacy for this idea to resonate.
“This is why political marketing, communication, and socialisation is paramount for this to be achieved,” he said.
No party will win alone, cooperation required
University of Tasmania Asia Institute’s Prof James Chin said the big tent announcement sends a signal that everything is up for negotiation and that PH, and Anwar in particular, is open to working with anybody they see fit.
“It doesn't mean the parties won’t fight each other. They will try to win as many seats as possible. But after the election, we can see a government that is diverse.
“The idea of a big tent is that everybody can discuss, that people with different ideologies can still come together,” he said.
As to whether this gives PH the edge in the coming polls, especially if it partners up with Umno, Chin said the party with the best chance of securing Putrajaya will be the one that can promise the most in return to others who show support.
“There will be scrambling from both sides of the divide, with offerings and promises made to other parties. In the end, the person with the best negotiation skill will win. And right now, that person is Anwar.”
Asked if the big tent approach is indicative of PH’s openness to accepting Umno, Chin said that in a political field, nothing said on the public domain should be trusted.
UiTM Sabah public policy lecturer Firdausi Suffian said the current political landscape – which makes it impossible for any one party to form a government – will open up the room for unlikely alliances.
Commenting on the possibility of a PH-Umno partnership, Firdausi said what was inconceivable just a year ago should not be discounted today.
“It is very obvious that collaborations within different parties will happen, and sometimes they are beyond even our expectations,” he told The Vibes.
In PH’s case, Firdausi said it might even serve the coalition well if it cooperates with the largest Malay party in the country, as it would be impossible to capture the administration alone, although he predicts this to take place only after the election.
However, he pointed out that while forming a government post-election is a pragmatic approach that will see parties coming together with common policies in the best interest of Malaysians, there is also a downside to it.
“My fear is that knowing a single party won’t be able to form a government, there are bound to be demands and offers made by certain quarters. This is bad for democracy,” he said. – The Vibes, April 12, 2021
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