Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk says Malaysia’s government composition – which includes Umno – is one of the reasons for the lack of meaningful reforms.
He argued that any government that includes Umno will always face difficulties, as its presence makes it hard to break away from legacy political practices.
“Umno will always be a problem, no matter which government it joins, due to its history,” said Azeem, director of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Research.
“The problem is that no single party dominates Malaysian politics. This has opened the door for Umno to be part of the Madani government, as Pakatan Harapan failed to secure a simple majority in Parliament.
“When Perikatan Nasional was in power, Umno was also part of that administration, and its member, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, eventually became prime minister in 2021.”
Azeem said, however, that Umno is at its most vulnerable now, particularly after winning only four seats in the recent Sabah elections and the untimely death of its Sabah chief, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on Dec 5.
“Umno’s latest performance in Sabah is a far cry from the 2008 state polls, when Barisan Nasional won 59 of 60 seats.”
Azeem added that Umno is facing internal challenges in keeping BN intact, as MIC has expressed its intention to join the opposition pact, Perikatan Nasional. MCA, during its Dec 7 annual general meeting, said it would quit BN should any party within the coalition work with DAP in Malaysia’s 16th general election.
DAP holds the largest number of federal seats – 40 – in the Madani administration.
Regarding DAP’s recent assertiveness, Azeem noted that it stems partly from the party’s failure to win any of the eight seats it contested in the recent Sabah elections.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said the party would gather feedback and accelerate its reform agenda over the next six months before assessing its position within the Madani government.
Its national adviser, Lim Guan Eng, recently criticised several policies, including the Sales and Service Tax, e-invoicing, and the amended Employment Insurance System Bill.
Azeem said that during Pakatan Harapan 1.0 after the 2018 elections, DAP and other coalition members pushed openly for reforms, which ultimately contributed to political strain.
“They were making all sorts of demands in PH 1.0, and it contributed to the fall of the government when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided to resign,” he said.
“DAP has learnt from that episode. Under the current administration after the 2022 elections, DAP leaders have notably refrained from making public statements. But with GE16 on the horizon, they want their voice to be heard,” he added.
