One-party dominance a thing of the past, analysts tell Umno

Oh Ei Sun says if Umno really wants to regain dominance, it must go back to championing benefits for the masses rather than a select few.

(FMT) – A political analyst has dismissed Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s call for the party to work towards regaining its dominance over government, saying one-party superiority is now a thing of the past.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said this is the political reality in many other countries around the world, including some of Malaysia’s neighbours in Southeast Asia.

Even in Indonesia, there is no longer one party that is overly dominant, he told FMT, referring to how the Suharto-led Partai Golongan Karya ruled Indonesia for decades until 1998.

Power-sharing is the basis of cooperation, with the presence of several parties collaborating in the government serving as a form of check and balance on one another, said Awang Azman.

In recent years, hung parliaments have become a common occurrence in many countries post-elections, and have led to parties cooperating to form the government, notably in Canada, France and New Zealand.

In Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai Party used to dominate the political arena, but the results of the more recent general elections have forced it into power-sharing arrangements with other parties.

During Umno Youth’s general assembly on Thursday, Akmal said Umno should not be content with merely being able to be part of the federal government. He said Umno should instead look to becoming the dominant force once again.

The Melaka executive councillor also said Umno, which presently has 26 elected MPs, must work to secure two-thirds of the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs agreed but does not discount the possibility of Umno returning to former glories, saying anything is possible in Malaysian politics nowadays.

However, he said Umno must rediscover its original purpose and undertake serious reforms to regain its pre-eminence.

Umno must rid itself of the image of benefiting a selected few, and return to its roots of championing benefits for the masses, he said.

Meanwhile, Awang Azman pointed out that Umno already has a strong presence in the current government, holding seven Cabinet posts. In comparison, DAP, which has 40 MPs, has only been handed five ministerial positions.

He said that before dreaming about dominating Malaysian politics once again, Umno must shore up support ahead of future elections by first bolstering its grassroots, especially in both its youth wings.

Without that strength, (Akmal’s call) would be merely rhetoric for the general assembly, he said, adding that the party’s first real test will be at the Sabah state polls, which must be held no later than December 2025.