Does DAP’s future lie with BN?

By admin-s On Mar 31, 2015

Some of us have long wondered what possibilities could emerge if our politicians stopped bickering and attempted to work together for the common good, and now that Kit Siang has let the genie out of the lamp, perhaps it truly is a good time to discuss the option of bipartisan politics.

Scott Ng, FMT

Lim Kit Siang recently proposed one of the more revolutionary ideas to emerge in Malaysian politics in a long time when he suggested that the moderates from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional band together to form an alliance based on the rule of law and the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

He has gone on to plan in elaborate detail which names from the ruling coalition will take up ministerial posts and even suggested that we could see a woman PM from Sabah or Sarawak, citing Law Minister Nancy Shukri as a potential candidate.

It looks like Kit Siang has put a considerable amount of thought into this idea. A coalition of moderates from BN and PR is an enticing prospect, but one that seems highly unlikely when you factor in voter sentiment and, more important, the question of what Umno gains by acquiescing to such a notion.

It is hard to imagine considerable voter support for a BN-DAP alliance. There will be many questions asked about the DAP’s ability to pursue civil society causes given the conservative bent of BN, which extends to its moderates, who can be considered centre-right in terms of political inclination. It may also be hard for opposition supporters to reconcile the castigation previously aimed at BN by DAP with a new-found cooperation. Some will feel betrayed with such a move as many voters were looking to elect an alternative to BN.

However, Kit Siang being the political veteran he is, knows that the DAP cannot attain power without a Malay-majority party in Pakatan Rakyat. While it is true that PKR is mostly composed of Malay members, it lacks the heartland appeal PAS has, and there is perhaps no party better for that job than PAS.

But with the Islamist party hell-bent on getting its way, consequences be damned, it has become a liability, the main contributor to the possible disintegration of Pakatan Rakyat. Given the recalcitrance of party president Hadi Awang, it is no wonder that Kit Siang is now looking for a new way forward for DAP, even if it means going to bed with his decades-long political rivals.

But what does BN gain from such an alliance? Well, for one, it gains an arm with great operational capacity and a wide network full of bright young minds, something currently missing in the BN make-up. It also gains assets to tackle social issues and a point of connection with the Chinese community, which has forsaken the MCA as the designated representative of the race.

In fact, the biggest gain for BN would be the most viable alternative to the MCA thus far. It is clear that the communal party no longer resonates with the average Malaysian Chinese, and no amount of pandering is likely to change that in short order.