Author: Dr. Amit Singh*
Date: April 29, 2013
‘Multiracial’ Malaysia is gearing
up for its 13th General Election (GE) on May 5, 2013. The forthcoming polls
seem to be the toughest challenge for the incumbent coalition of Barisan
Nasional (BN) that has ruling Malaysia since independence in 1957. While the BN
is ‘representing’ the three major political groups of Malaysia - the United
Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA),
and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) – the coalition government is perceived
as a symbol of Malay-Muslim supremacy in the Malaysian political discourse.
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic but a
Muslim-majority state with a population of around 29 million, of which 62% are of
Malay origin, 23% are Chinese and 7% are of Indian origin (Malaysian Census
2010). Although Islam is the official religion, other world religions such as
Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity also have sizable adherents among the
Malaysian population. It is therefore, reasonable to believe that religion and ethnicity
play a pivotal role in Malaysian politics.
Psephologists foresee this election as being
the closest ever in Malaysian history. As in the previous GE which was held in
March 2008, the main opposition coalition, People’s Alliance, won an
unprecedented 82 out of 222 seats in parliament and five out of 12 state
governments. Thereby, they denied the ruling coalition, BN, two-thirds majority
for the first time in the history of Malaysia. Present day opinion polls also speculate
that the People’s Alliance may emerge as the single largest coalition in this
election. However, in the face of fresh alliances or tie ups, the exit poll on
05 May would be a more accurate indicator.
The last GE (2008) underscored that the people
of Malaysia were losing faith in the ruling coalition (BN) and also indicated towards
the political awakening of the Malaysian population. In 2008, elections were
held one year in advance as Abdullah Badawi was only in his fourth year as
Prime Minister. It was widely speculated that the early call for a renewed
mandate was to prevent former deputy prime minister and the incumbent leader of
opposition, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, from contesting. By law, he would have been
only eligible to contest elections only after April 2009, five years after the
end of his controversial conviction on 'sexual' and 'corruption' charges. The
other speculated reason for early election was to seek a new endorsement for
Abdullah's beleaguered government which had declined in popularity and
credibility due to a spate of mishandled economic and inter-ethnic issues.
The March 2008 GE was also held against the backdrop
of the historic November 25, 2007 protests staged by the Hindu Rights Action
Force (HINDRAF) in Kuala Lumpur which internationalised the pitiable conditions
of the ethnic Indians in Malaysia. Under the banner of HINDRAF, thousands of
people joined the peaceful protests against the marginalisation, namely in the
denial of jobs, fair wages, educational facilities, electoral reforms and equal
opportunities and rights. The decision of Malaysian Government to demolish 79
Hindu temples in the name of ‘development’
and forceful conversion of some Hindus added fuel to the protests. The rally
was meant to support a $4 trillion lawsuit filed in London in August 2007 by
the HINDRAF demanding that Britain should compensate Malaysian Indians for
bringing their forefathers as indentured labourers and exploiting them. It also
sought to amend Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution which provides for
Malay supremacy. However, the Malaysian
government crushed the peaceful protests and linked the protesters with the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This further amplified the resentment
against the BN, and especially towards the MIC.
During the 2008 election campaign, the HINDRAF used
unconventional methods, namely internet and social media, to highlight the
wretched condition of the Malaysian Indians and to put forward their demands
and agendas. This resulted in the unification and awakening of the Malaysian
Indian society. Consequently, the BN came into power with a simple majority and
the MIC was reduced to three seats from the previous nine. Even Samy Vellu, the
veteran leader of the MIC, lost the election. Taking the responsibility of the
unimpressive performance of the coalition Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi
stepped down in favour of his successor, Najib Tun Razak, in April 2009. After taking
over as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib tried to improve the
socio-cultural and politico-economical condition of the country including the
grievances of the ethnic Indians. But it was too little, too late akin to ‘putting
a Band-Aid on a fractured leg’.
Nonetheless, before dissolving the Parliament, Najib deliberately provided bonuses to over 1.3 million
civil servants, cash for low-income families, smart phone rebates and a cut in
the income tax rate in the 2013 budget to garner votes on popular measures. On
the other hand, Anwar in his election manifesto has promised free secondary
education, lower car prices, an increased minimum wage and greater oil revenues
for Sabah and Sarawak states of East Malaysia. But the real challenges
confronting the country are improved governance, equal representation and
opportunity, a government free of corruption, a dwindling economy and a meek foreign
policy.
The forthcoming GE is the first test of
Prime Minister Najib since taking over in 2009 and the opposition is fighting
elections under the veteran leader like Anwar Ibrahim after a long period - making
Malaysia’s elections more interesting. However, there is
also a fear in the opposition that the elections will not be free and fair as
Najib may use the state mechanism in his favour. Another interesting aspect of this
election is that during 2008 GE only 50% of the Malaysian population was internet
friendly whereas now two-thirds of the population is on internet and social
media, which are likely to play a decisive role this time too. Recently, the social
media played a crucial role in the Arab
Spring, which successfully led to the political transition in some West
Asian nations.
If the forthcoming GE in Malaysia is conducted in a fair
and peaceful manner, a political transition is likely to happen which may
change the fortunes of Malaysia.
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