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Free Malaysia Today
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Malays want political stability, not just racial sentiment, says analyst
Hisomuddin Bakar said the new alliance is a reaction to the perceived lack of Malay-majority support for the current government. PETALING JAYA : Unity based solely on Malay sentiment is no longer the single determining factor in garnering Malay political support, says political analyst Hisomuddin Bakar. He said Malays also look at governance, including effective management of the economy, administrative integrity and policies that have a direct impact on people's daily lives. Hisomuddin Bakar. 'It's more about everyday realities than nationalist rhetoric. Political stability has become a priority,' said Hisomuddin, who is executive director of Ilham Centre. 'Voters are feeling the fatigue created by internal party conflicts, party-hopping and frequent changes in government,' he told FMT. Hisomuddin said voters wanted a stable administration, consistent policy direction, the ability to maintain investor confidence and a promise of long-term prosperity. He said political parties today are evaluated not only based on their historical struggles or ethnicity, but also on how convincingly they can realistically offer a progressive and inclusive future. His comments come after the recent launch of a new Malay unity alliance by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, created as a loose coalition to gather fractured Malay political forces under one 'big umbrella'. Hisomuddin said the alliance is a reaction to the landscape after the 15th general election, with the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional government seen as lacking the majority of Malay support. 'In GE15, Perikatan Nasional emerged as the most dominant bloc among Malay voters, despite multi-cornered fights with Malay parties like Pejuang,' he noted. Hisomuddin said the alliance could hypothetically improve the Malay vote count beyond PN's performance in GE15 – nearly 70% of Malay votes – but only if it successfully unites all the splinter groups. More to prove than just unity However, Hisomuddin said recent by-elections point to a different reality, with BN winning comfortably in Nenggiri, Mahkota and Ayer Kuning due to votes from PH supporters, including non-Malays. 'Even though Umno has not fully recovered its influence among Malay voters, its strategic cooperation with PH is keeping it alive, winning seats through combined vote mobilisation,' he said. Hisomuddin said the Malay alliance has more to prove than just its ability to unite, and faces a much bigger challenge than simply gathering fragmented Malay entities. Syaza Shukri. 'It must demonstrate that it is able to disrupt the current voter support patterns created by the PH-BN alliance,' he said. Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said the alliance lacks clear goals and has yet to truly explain its purpose. 'I don't know if they will be effective, because I don't know how or what to measure. What are they planning to do? What do they want to change?' she said to FMT. Azmi Hassan. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara also said the alliance is unlikely to pick up steam because unlike during the earlier Pakatan Harapan government, no driving issues are currently pushing Malay-based parties together. 'At that time, the Rome Statute was the main factor. But not right now. There is no issue. Umno is quite comfortable in the government,' he told FMT.
Free Malaysia Today
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Umno will want to avoid seeming ‘tamed' by DAP in Melaka, says analyst
Umno will not want to seem weak among Malay voters as it seeks to rebuild public confidence and support, says Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar. PETALING JAYA : Umno is likely to strongly reject DAP's proposed equal distribution of seats in Melaka with Pakatan Harapan to avoid the perception that it has been 'tamed' by DAP, says an analyst. Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said the 14+14 formula proposed by nine DAP branches in the state could spark dissatisfaction, given that the matter was also not discussed by the central PH leadership. 'If Melaka Umno agrees to this, it will create the perception that the party has been 'tamed' by DAP, a narrative that runs counter with the party's veteran leaders' statements before this. 'This will only weaken Umno, especially among Malay voters, and stunt the party's efforts to rebuild public confidence and support,' he told FMT. Yesterday, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh rejected a proposal from nine Melaka DAP branches for PH and BN to contest 14 seats each in the upcoming state election, telling DAP to 'dream on' after the matter was reported by Chinese daily China Press. However, he misinterpreted the report as saying that the proposal was made by nine DAP divisions rather than branches. Melaka DAP publicity secretary Kerk Chee Yee clarified that this was merely a grassroots proposal by the branches, and that the state chapter had yet to discuss the matter. The Melaka assembly has 28 seats, 20 of which are held by Barisan Nasional, five by PH and three by Perikatan Nasional. Hisomuddin Bakar. Hisomuddin said the proposal would only harm Umno's relationship with DAP, which has not yet reached an ideal balance in terms of political cooperation. 'BN will defend the seats it has won, and PH should only contest the seats they already hold. 'All negotiations for seats held by PN should be considered pragmatically. Logically, seats in Malay-majority areas should not be for DAP (to contest),' he said. Mazlan Ali. However, Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the formula could be considered, given that analyses of the 15th general election may more accurately predict support for the two parties. 'PH used to govern Melaka with more seats. Umno won the last state election because of a low voter turnout due to Covid-19. 'Negotiation and agreement are necessary to ensure stability if PH and BN intend to continue their cooperation in the coming state election,' he said.
