Parliament must lead the way through reforms, while Umno must become a progressive, centrist movement
SINGAPORE (Jan 14): I write this during interesting and tumultuous times in Malaysian politics. After the conclusion of the last session of last year’s parliament, political alliances have been quick to shift. To use a sporting analogy, we are now in the off-season transfer market with players looking for new teams.
How parliament will look when it opens again in March will be anybody’s guess. Will Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) be the biggest party in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition? Or will Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) find itself as the senior numerical partner, bolstered by the United Malays National Organisation defectors? If there is no Umno left to speak of, will Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) then be the principal opposition party? All of these questions will be answered in the months, if not weeks, ahead.
This political musical chairs that we are witnessing should not come as a surprise. There were two principal reasons why the immediate political configuration of parties post May 9 would not hold.
The first involves Umno. Umno and its leaders have never been in federal opposition. We have governed Malaysia since Merdeka and never had to slog it out without power, position and patronage. We were the Persian cats of Malaysian politics. Now, the Persian cats find themselves out on the streets. Most of these Persian cats are not street fighters and cannot survive like a street cat. So, they will take the first opportunity to sneak back into the mansion.
Second, PPBM is the smallest party in the PH government. The only way of strengthening itself without having to wait for the next general election would be via defections. Why can’t it wait for the next election? Because Dr Mahathir Mohamad will most certainly not be leading it into the next election. It will lose its biggest leverage without him. So, it needs to strengthen itself while he is still around and can command the deference of the other PH parties.
The other reason PPBM cannot wait is a broader point.
There is great unrest on the Malay political ground. Some people may say this is imagined or manufactured. Even if these fears and concerns are irrational or have been exploited by certain parties, Malay discontent is real. The government’s disastrous handling of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) issue, which led to the massive rally on Dec 8, was a manifestation of Malay discontent. And when identity politics collides with an economic environment that has, for the lay person, not improved, there is trouble on the horizon.
The government’s narrative that the mounting national debt that was inherited has prevented the fulfilment of electoral promises has increasingly been met with cynicism.
This backdrop has necessitated a strategic move on the part of Mahathir to try and allay the Malay discontent. Since Malays understand and value political power, the most expedient way of doing this would be to increase the number of Malay MPs in the PH government, specifically Malay MPs with the same DNA as PPBM. That would be Umno MPs.
Where do we go from here?
I think we should get the defections over and done with as quickly as possible. Whoever wants to leave should go. Once that’s done, everyone needs to move on and focus on building this much-lauded Malaysia Baru. The blame game and witch-hunts should end.
If anyone is suspected of corruption or abuse of power, by all means investigate them thoroughly. But not all our present malaise can be pinned on the past. Both sides must work hard to push through lasting reforms. This is important because it creates a level playing field for everyone.
Let me give you an example how reforms can prevent defections after each election. One of the principal reasons cited by defectors is that once they are in the opposition, they are denied access to development funds that could be used to assist their constituents. If we push through reforms so that every elected representative, regardless of the party, is given the same development allocation, this will no longer be a problem.
That is how reforms can level the playing field and prevent the excuse of lack of development funds from being used to justify defecting.
Parliament must lead the way in pushing for these reforms. Recognition must be given to the shadow cabinet in terms of resources and standing. A dedicated day should be set aside for the opposition to set the order of business so motions and private member’s bills can be tabled and debated.
Government bills and appointments should be thoroughly scrutinised by select committees. One of the positive achievements last year has been the creation of six select committees. I was fortunate to be chosen to sit in the committee on the budget.
These committees will have to demonstrate bipartisan cooperation in fulfilling their duties to check against the executive. For the committee on the budget, we will have our work cut out for us. We not only have to canvass public ideas for this year’s budget but also monitor the implementation of last year’s budget.
There is much work to do and the sooner we get down to doing it without pointing fingers and making back room political deals, the better for Malaysia.
Let me end by saying this. I don’t want to judge those who have decided to switch teams during this off-season transfer window. Many are my friends and they have their reasons for doing so.
But I personally believe there must be some value to the people’s will. And on May 9, the people willed for a PH government. That means those who lost must respect this by becoming a credible opposition.
If the last election has told us anything, it is that Malaysians want to see a competitive, two-party block system that will keep both sides on their toes. If losers simply join the winning team after the election, why have an election in the first place?
As far as Umno is concerned, I will do my best to reform my party into the centrist, progressive movement it once was. I want to move Umno away from the ethno-religious embrace of PAS. I want to recruit young, professional members who can raise the level of political discourse.
This will be difficult because good leaders have left. What is left may not be as good. But I am committed to trying and if I fail to reform Umno it would not be because I didn’t try.
And if Umno cannot be reformed, there must be a possibility of another platform. Not a platform to jump into PH, but an effective platform to give Malaysians the opposition they deserve.
Khairy Jamaluddin is Member of Parliament for Rembau, former Umno youth chief and former minister of youth and sports of Malaysia
