Published by Malaysiakini, Malay Mail & Sin Chew, images from Malaysiakini.
Malays, Muslims, even an all-male elite, are all entitled to form a coalition. God, after all, creates the world in different tribes and nations to learn from each other; as the Quran would have it.
But before one “learns” from one another, the coalition has to unlearn and relearn from their past too. In the case of Pakatan Harapan, the very young coalition, which admittedly is having difficulties in adjusting to running both federal and state governments after decades of being in the opposition, learned how to unlearn their enmity, their ideological conflicts and differences in work habits before they relearned how to operate as a unified body.
Harapan, for the better or worse, is still going through this process of unlearning and relearning, to be a better coalition.
The unification of Umno and PAS, which has happened before, has nothing of the above. It began first as a stealthy embrace of the other even before the previous general election, before morphing into stomping troops of Malay, and potentially, hyper-nationalists Malays.
If Malaysia needs to look at the danger of the latter, just look at BJP of India, which is now hell-bent on transforming the biggest democracy in the world, into a devil’s may care Hindu Shastra where the rights of minorities are all trampled.
Yet the tyranny of the majority is and must not be the benchmark of a new government. As and when they do, their ostensible numerical superiority will be used as a blunt weapon to silence the voice of all groups from Kuala Kangsar to Kota Kinabalu.
Can the union of convenience of PAS and Umno work though, granted that it has failed miserably before in 1974-1978 leading to the declaration of an emergency in Kelantan? Yes, it can for the same reason like how they want to take Malaysia back to a mythical period when Tanah Melayu literally meant “Malay Land”.
Umno and PAS are working hand-in-hand to dominate 119 predominantly Malay seats in Peninsular Malaysia first. They believe with a majority of seven, all other races will submit and consequently, surrender to them.
But the actual purpose is simpler. The politicians who coined and conceived this coalition are precisely those who have the most to gain; barring which they also have the most to lose if they don’t reclaim the mantle of government. All of them are under allegations of criminal breaches of trust and are being prosecuted under various forms of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amla). They will get off scot-free if their plan succeeds and be put in the slammer if their plan fails.
Granted that PAS and Umno are allegedly complicit in the grand larceny of Malaysia whether through 1MDB or Tabung Haji. Their attempts to win the next general election by hook or by crook is a dangerous dagger pointed at the heart of rule of law in Malaysia.
Malaysians will soon see identity politics of a vehement intensity. Race and religion will become a dominant discussion item amongst this ever-changing political dynamics. Contestation of ideas or policies will soon take a backseat. Harapan must not fall for these narratives.
Harapan must technically and tectonically change its ways by focusing on what people want – mitigating the cost of living, a better quality of living, creation of credible jobs, affordable homes and affordable healthcare.
Malaysians, especially those above the age of 18, must be educated to be the vanguard of Harapan with voters from other generations and races serving as the navigators to steer Malaysia to higher moral ground.
The jury is out there – the people!
Dr. Rais Hussin is President & CEO of EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based upon rigorous research.
刊登在：星洲网 (Sin Chew)
马来人、穆斯林、甚至所有马来精英，都有权结盟。毕竟，上苍创造了拥有不同部落和民族的世界以让他们互相学习；正如可兰经所说的那样。
但是，在一个人“互相学习“之前，该联盟必须摒除他们过去的敌意并重新出发。就希望联盟而言，这个非常年轻的联盟，几十年来一直是反对党，在运作联邦和州政府时就出现问题，在他们还没有开始学习如何作为一个统一的机构之前，他们无法摒弃他们的敌意、他们的意识形态冲突，以及他们在工作习惯上的不同。
希望联盟，无论好坏，仍在经历这种摒弃敌意和重新学习的过程，以成为一个更好的联盟。
巫统和伊斯兰党的结盟，也曾经发生过，但却与上述情况无关。在还未转变成为马来人军团，或者说是，马来超级民族主义者之前，他们在上届大选前就已经开始鬼鬼祟祟地合作。
如果大马想要知道后者所带来的危险，可以参考印度的印度人民党，他们现在固执地想把全世界最大的民主国家，转型成为一个只专注兴都教徒的古世界，并践踏少数民族的权益。
然而，多数人的暴政绝不能成为新政府的基准。当他们这样做时，他们表面上的数字优势将被用作武器以消灭从江沙到亚庇的所有组织的声音。
然而，伊党和巫统的结盟是否可行，有鉴于他们在1974至1978年的惨败，并导致吉兰丹进入紧急状态？是的，出于同样的原因，他们想把大马带回神话里的时期，那时的“Tanah Melayu”就如字面上的意思，是马来人的土地。
巫统和伊党合作以主导大马半岛119个以马来人为主的议席。他们相信只要掌握了大多数，其他种族就会屈服，最终，臣服于他们。
但实际的目的更简单。构思和成立这个联盟的政治人物才是最大受益者；如果夺不下政权，他们也是失去最多的人。所有这些都是在帮助对失信，以及触犯各种形式的反洗黑钱法令的人逃脱罪行──如果他们的计划成功的话──如果计划失败，他就会入狱。
如今伊党和巫统被指是大马最大的盗贼同盟，无论是通过一马发展公司或朝圣基金局，他们试图以引诱或诱骗的方式来赢得来届大选，这把危险的匕首直接指向大马法治的核心。
大马人很快就会看到激烈的身分认同政治。种族和宗教将成为这个不断变化的政治动态中的主要讨论课题。关于政策的想法或讨论很快就会退居二线！希盟不应该因这种叙事而遭遇失败。
希盟必须通过专注于人们的需求，在技术上和构造上作出改变：降低生活费、提高生活质量、制造工作机会、可负担房屋和可负担的医疗保健服务。
大马人，特别是18岁以上的人，必须接受教育以成为希盟的前锋；与其他几代和种族的选民一起担任领航员，以引导大马走向更高的道德基础。
陪审员就近在眼前！就是人民。
莱斯福贤是EMIR Research的总裁兼首席执行官，EMIR Research是一个独立的智囊团，专注于根据严格的研究提出战略政策建议。
