Rough hustings belie melting ethnic divisions

Expectations that Malaysia’s 13th general election (GE) on May 5 will be unusually hot, more so than 2008, have so far been borne out.

Setting the tone for the hustings was a letter from the Registrar of Societies on the eve of Nomination Day, casting doubt on the legality of the newly-elected leadership of the Democratic Action Party (DAP). It further galvanised the three-party opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as an electoral force, while the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) countered by painting its rival as disunited and splintering, an image amplified in the pro-BN mainstream media.

Nomination Day produced a record number of independents distancing themselves from both the ruling BN as well as the PR. As the campaigns moved on, tensions rose between rival supporters; the media reported fracas breaking out in different places, which police described as “alarming”.

There have even been small, mysterious explosions at a BN rally that did little physical harm but were nevertheless unprecedented, which police said was the work of “professionals”.

The resort to explosives marks a new threshold in electoral skirmishes, yet it remains unclear who could be behind them, as both sides of the political divide hinted at conspiracy with intent to discredit.

The dust was still swirling when a senior customs official was murdered in the heart of the administrative capital, Putrajaya, on April 26. The police say the daylight killing was not related to the GE; the victim was known as Mr Clean for his tough stance against the underworld. Still, it took place just a day before a major election rally in Putrajaya by the PAS, which is trying to capture the symbolically significant constituency as part of the opposition alliance’s push to make inroads into BN territory and wrest power.

STABILITY ON THEIR MINDS

Amid all these incidents, both sides have been noticeably uncomfortable and tried to contain the underlying tensions even as they deflected political attacks during campaigning.

BN leader and Prime Minister Najib Razak said the resort to explosive devices would mar the elections, while his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin said these incidents were out of character with the country’s political culture. The opposition was quick to also condemn the explosions which they said were “clearly meant to create fear and provoke disorder”.

Around the same time, Defence Minister and UMNO Vice-President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi let it be known that three opposition leaders had been identified as linked to the recent Lahad Datu incursion in Sabah by Sulu militants.

Tensions nothwithstanding, the dominant mood during this campaign period has so far been one of normalcy and relative peace. People are still going about their daily lives. Should this hold, the May 5 vote will go on as scheduled, with the security authorities ready to step in to maintain order should things get out of hand.

Leaders on both sides of the political divide know very well that stability is paramount in a country which experienced racial riots in the aftermath of the 1969 GE. Back then, the inroads made by the opposition DAP — viewed then by the Malays as a Chinese chauvinist party — led to the riots and emergency rule. In the aftermath, the ruling three-party alliance was strengthened with the creation of BN as a broader multiracial coalition.

LOWERING ETHNIC BARRIERS

But 2013 is not 1969. The current electoral tensions are not really between the ethnic groups, although each community still harbours anxieties and unhappiness.

The fights are largely over party beliefs and ideologies — and increasingly over what some analysts call “new politics”.

Indeed, the larger narrative emerging is the relative peace between the major ethnic communities beyond the BN-defined political template of power shared among the major races through the ruling coalition. The space for inter-ethnic accommodation outside the formal political processes is widening — and this is what is giving life to the opposition coalition .

Such is the sub-text underlying the growing cohesion among the three allies in PR, comprising DAP and PAS and led by Mr Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). The mainstream media, however, has been harping on their inherent ideological differences, especially over Islamic law such as hudud, which gives the impression of fundamentally irreconcilable divisions.

Outwardly, the BN appears to be more cohesive than the Opposition — the ruling coalition campaigns in a harmonised blue, which contrasts sharply with the PR’s three different flags of green (PAS), blue-red (PKR) and red-white (DAP).

Yet during the campaigning, the melting of the lines has continued: Mixed crowds of Chinese, Malays and Indians have been attending opposition rallies, reminiscent of 2008; youths from the DAP, PKR and PAS cycled around in threes, carrying each other’s symbols.

While these images are part and parcel of the electoral power play, they also encapsulate the lowering of ethnic and religious barriers outside the BN system.

As one retired UMNO divisional leader says privately, what he has observed is a growing sense of ease among Malays, Chinese and Indians who do not support the government. This, he says, is the positive effect of the emergent two-coalition system.

WILL THE TREND HOLD?

The senior UMNO activist added that if this is the impact of the opposition alliance, then the birth of a two-coalition system will be good for the country. Inter-ethnic understanding will be enhanced not just within a BN-centric polity, but also on a larger template that is truly national — so long as Malay dominance is not under threat.

When the DAP was told by the Registrar of Societies that its leadership may not be recognised following its controversial party election — though it could still contest the national polls — the party was quick to say it would campaign under the PAS and PKR banners. These two allies were equally swift in accepting.

PAS’ spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat saw this as significant in terms of breaking down what he calls the wall of Islamophobia. Indeed, both parties spoke of a new era in ties in which “the DAP rocket has landed on the PAS moon”.

It remains to be seen how the remaining days of campaigning will turn out. Both sides are expected to ramp up their rallies. The mood in the frontline states will be critical, especially in Selangor, Johor, Kedah and Perak in the peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. Surprises cannot be ruled out.

Mr Najib says he is increasingly confident of winning back the two-thirds majority which he describes as critical for political and economic stability. Meanwhile, the PR is pulling in huge crowds to its rallies, which Mr Anwar admits may not necessarily translate into votes; still, his cries of: “Ini kali lah!” (This is the time!) have the mixed crowds of Malays, Chinese and Indians chanting: “Ubah!” (Change!).

On May 5, we will find out which leader voters will follow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Yang Razali Kassim is Senior Fellow with the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.