PKR is about as multiracial as DAP. Although PKR probably has the intention of being a multiracial party, for all practical intent and purposes, just like how DAP is in reality, a Chinese party, PKR is also in the end, a Malay party.
Someday, maybe PKR’s and DAP’s intentions will be strong enough to make their multiracial aspiration a reality, but that day is not today. Today, they will have to do what is right based on who they are at present.
UMNO is the OG of Malay parties in Malaysia. Almost all Malay parties from Semangat 46 to Keadilan to Pejuang to Bersatu trace their origin to UMNO. Even PAS, the only other party in Malaysia whose Malay credentials is as strong as UMNO’s, has an entangled root with UMNO. From Anwar to Muhyiddin to Mahathir, the majority of Malay leaders in the country have made their bones in UMNO. Only a few top Malay leaders like Hadi or Sanusi came up through PAS.
PKR and UMNO are currently on the same side. Since they are already on the same side, is there even a need for them to be merged into one? I think the answer is an unequivocal yes.
The August 12 election results clearly tell us that PKR and UMNO, on their own, are too weak to win the hearts and minds of the Malays.
Their inability to win the hearts and minds of the Malays, in turn, is not only making the unity government vulnerable to coups, it is causing the very foundations of the Federation to tremble.
A big part of the reason why PKR and UMNO are failing to win the hearts and minds of the Malays is because individually, they are both overshadowed by DAP, which is the strongest component in the unity government.
If they merge, they might likely become a Super Malay party, that will not only be able to convince the Malays that it is the Malays, not the Chinese, that reigns supreme in the unity government, it will also give them the strength to take on PN, whose massive Malay mandate is casting aspersion upon the unity government’s mandate to rule the federation.
Some people believe that if Najib returns, UMNO’s fortune can be reversed. But I think that ship has sailed. Even if Najib returns, UMNO will likely remain in the unity government, where it will still be seen by the Malays as being overshadowed by DAP.
Even if UMNO decides to go its own way and separate from the unity government, it is doubtful whether the Malays will return to UMNO’s fold. Why would the Malays bet on an emaciated UMNO, when they could more easily get what they wanted by keeping their faith in the PN juggernaut.
Merging with UMNO might boost PKR’s chances of drawing the Malays into its fold. The problem with PKR is that although it is in a practical sense, a Malay party, it doesn’t have the legitimacy of being a Malay party. Merging with UMNO will infuse it with the legitimacy it requires to draw the Malays into its aegis.
Even if PKR merges with UMNO, it will still not lose the non-Malay vote. The non-Malays vote are not going to vote for PN. The drop in the Indian votes for the unity government on the August 12 election is likely just a one-off affair. It is likely a protest vote due to Indians feeling that they are being neglected by the Malays and Chinese in PKR and DAP. When it really matters, the Indian votes will likely return to the unity government.
Other than a Super Malay party, the unity government also probably needs a Super Indian party to strengthen its mandate to rule the federation.
But that is an article for another day.
For today, I leave you with the view that a Super Malay party is not only the only way that the unity government can withstand the advance of the PN juggernaut, but it is also the most promising way forward for both PKR and UMNO and possibly the best chance that we have to address the growing social, political and economic instability in the Federation.
TheRealNehruism is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
