PETALING JAYA: By most accounts, a grand alliance of all political forces within Malaysia is ideal, but it is overly idealistic.
Umno and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) have dismissed it outright while DAP does not see it happening.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia sees it as premature considering the strong animosity between the two sides of the political divide, while PKR prefers a less formal arrangement, which entails the two sides cooperating only when the situation calls for it.
Apart from politicians, there is a general understanding that a unity government will be good for Malaysia, especially in times of crises, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Political analyst Prof Dr Jeniri Amir believes the stumbling block is self-interest among politicians. “They are only interested in holding on to power, not sharing it,” he said in response to a proposal that a unity government be formed to reduce politicking to help Malaysia ride out the current crisis.
Umno’s stand on the issue lends credence to Jeniri’s views.
Umno supreme council member Tan Sri Noh Omar immediately ruled out such a possibility, citing Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership as proof that there is no necessity to work with Pakatan Harapan.
“The present government under Tan Sri Muhyiddin has gained worldwide recognition for its success in the fight against Covid-19. So there is no need for a unity government.”
Neither will Amanah consider such a possibility, but for a very different reason. “It will be like working together with those who have betrayed us,” its vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said.
“There was betrayal, which has led to traitors working together with the very same kleptocrats whom we in PH have been fighting from the start.”
DAP’s Charles Santiago said the animosity among rival political parties is too deep to make a unity government possible.
“The word ‘unity’ sounds catchy, even altruistic, but governments don’t work that way,” the Klang MP said.
PKR Youth vice-chairman Thiban Subramaniam said both the government and Opposition can work together to find common ground on important issues, so there is no need for a unity government.
“What is more important is that we have to ensure checks and balances.”
Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff is of the view that a unity government is only possible if there is a “tectonic shift” in the Malaysian political system.
For now, he said a unity government could serve as a platform to address the troika of challenges, namely to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, to restart the economy and to end the never-ending political conundrum.
“But will it happen? I don’t think so,” said Rais, who is also a political analyst. “Politicians are too self-serving to think about the greater good of the people and the nation.”
As Jeniri sees it, getting Umno into a unity pact would be a major hurdle.
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