‘Friendly’ competition for Mahkota threatens unity govt stability, says analyst
Chin Yee Mun says an Umno-Amanah face off in the upcoming Johor by-election would set a bad precedent.
(FMT) – ‘Friendly’ competition for Mahkota threatens unity govt stability, says analyst
“Competition among them, such as in the impending Mahkota by-election, would only reflect that the unity government house is not in order,”
he said, adding that it would set a precedent for coalition partners to contest against one another.
If this happens, Chin said, the strength and stability of the unity government, as presently touted by federal leaders, may vanish.
On Thursday, Johor DAP leader Dr Boo Cheng Hau said that BN and PH should be allowed to compete against each other at elections while working together for the rakyat.
He pointed out that BN forms the ruling coalition in Johor while PH, as the opposition bloc, provides checks and balances.
Boo also said a friendly contest between the two parties at the Mahkota by-election would be a “testing ground for such a sophisticated political enigma”.
Chin said the by-election presents an opportunity for grassroot leaders to stand out and get elected.
“In Johor’s case, PH leaders will see the Mahkota by-election as an opportunity to win more seats and prove that they are still relevant as the opposition party. Asking them to back out will not be easy,” he added.
Analyst Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said it is important for Umno and DAP not to be seen as “one ticket”, as doing so may impact both parties at the polls.
“There is still and will always be distrust between supporters of both parties,” he said.
“However, I agree with the Johor DAP chairman that when it comes to by-elections, the principle of incumbency should come into play to ensure goodwill and stability at both the federal and state levels.”
On Monday, Johor DAP state chief Liew Chin Tong said the party will uphold the principle of incumbency when selecting candidates and allocating seats, as previously done for the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections last year.
Liew’s statement followed a demand issued by Kluang Amanah for the right to contest the Mahkota seat in the upcoming by-election.
The seat was declared vacant after its incumbent, former Johor Wanita Umno chief Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, died last week.
Boo, however, said the incumbency principle would deny DAP the opportunity to recover the 14 seats it won previously, while PKR and Amanah would only be able to contest one seat each.
He said unity coalition partners should put aside their personal interests and help parties in PH to grow stronger instead of pursuing strategies that benefit themselves and strengthen PH’s competitors.
