FOR a two-party democratic system to thrive in Malaysia, we want to see a credible opposition front to voice out the concerns of the rakyat.
However, the union between Umno and PAS is a major disappointment for ordinary voters like me.
As I have long given up on MIC and MCA, it comes to me as no big surprise to see that the two parties are now playing a “wait-and-see” game. Unlike their former partner, Gerakan which has left Barisan Nasional, now with the coming together of Umno and PAS, both MIC and MCA are in the political wilderness.
By coming together as a political opposition front, both Umno and PAS show that they are leaning towards political Islam.
Without a doubt, this agenda will be rejected by majority of the non-Malay community in this country as well as the urban Malays who voted for Pakatan Harapan in the last general election.
We have seen the amount of corruption and kleptocracy during the former regime, it is unlikely that we will pick BN again.
The current leaders have to go before a new breed of opposition leaders can take over and earn the respect of all Malaysians.
Both Umno and PAS have forgotten that, besides the Chinese and Indian votes, Sabah and Sarawak played a key role in the collapse of Barisan Nasional in the last general election.
Looking at the bigger picture, without Sabah and Sarawak contributing to the final victory of Pakatan, the new government would have been on weak foundations.
In Sabah, Warisan has managed to capture a number of seats from BN-friendly parties, a show of Sabahan’s rejection of Umno’s powerbase in Sabah led by former chief minister, Musa Aman.
Therefore, the stake is very high if Sarawakian political parties continue to lean towards their political masters, Umno; they too risk losing the state administration. Like in Sabah, most Sarawakians are not happy with Umno or PAS.
While Umno and PAS may think it was their historic moment for them on Saturday, to most of us, it is a bane to a healthy democratic system.
While we cannot allow the country to slip further down, for the next few general elections, we are left without a better alternative to vote for.
Stephen Ng
Kuala Lumpur
