Old wounds the cause of spats within unity govt, say analysts

The ongoing spats between party leaders in the unity government, which is now in its second year in power, show “old wounds” have not healed, say political analysts.

(FMT) – Ariff Aizuddin Azlan from Universiti Teknologi Mara said it had not been an easy task for parties with long rivalries to make peace due to ideological differences.

He cited the dispute between Umno and DAP on housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming’s proposal to nominate Chinese new villages in Selangor as Unesco world heritage sites.

“If this matter is not managed and handled well, it will form a wound that is hard to heal and hurt all parties involved,” he told FMT.

Ariff said Umno and DAP grassroots remain cautious about the cooperation between the two parties at the federal level. He warned that any conflict between them would only benefit Perikatan Nasional.

“The opposition will call on the public to reject Pakatan Harapan’s political instability if the latter’s party leaders do not give serious attention to their internal issues.

“Failure to deliver economic policies that benefit the people will lead the public to look for alternatives.

“This will give PN room to speed up its efforts to capture Putrajaya,” he said.

Umno leaders, including Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi, have also criticised PKR vice-president and economy minister Rafizi Ramli and accused him of failing to solve the nation’s economic problems.

However, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said that differences of opinion between Umno, DAP and PKR cannot be avoided, as Umno needs to have a strong voice in the unity government to reassure its grassroots.

He said it would also be better for such differences to be put forward by party leaders who are not in the Cabinet.

“For example, Umno used its secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki to stress the party’s stance on Nga’s proposal. That was a good move because it is better to have party representatives speak on any dissatisfaction, than to pit minister against minister.

“It would not be good for DAP ministers to criticise Umno ministers too, because they are in the same Cabinet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid from Universiti Sains Malaysia said the open display of differences in opinion within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government showcases the political maturity championed by the PH chairman.

“All political coalitions are allowed to voice their personal opinions without fear of action taken against them,” he said.

Commenting on the unity government’s future, especially Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s wish for Barisan Nasional and PH to continue working together after the 16th general election, Ariff and Fauzi both said that there was room for the two coalitions to continue working together.

“The unity government’s future depends on how efficient they are in conflict management,” Fauzi said.

Ariff said the key to the unity government’s stability and longevity is in the hands of its respective party leaders.

“It depends on how creatively they chart their parties’ paths to avoid being trapped in conflict within the coalition,” he said.