Behind the Scenes: A Closer Look at Malaysia’s Political Parties
In parallel with nations embracing a parliamentary system of governance, political parties act as the cornerstone from which politics originates – a portal for those in power to convey their ideologies and what they believe in, to the public. The differences in cultures, ethnicities, and ideas of reformation contribute to the many political parties present in the country today, although only a number of them are able to garner enough support to make a change in the parliament.
From the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the People’s Justice Party (PKR) amongst many others, it is not only their promises the public would need to scrutinise, but also the individuals who will occupy seats in government. In countries like Malaysia, voters cast their ballots for candidates fielded by each party, with the ultimate decision on the prime minister resting on the winner of a simple majority, or also known as the political party that secures at least 112 seats in the parliament, out of 222 seats.
The Battle of the Coalitions
While Malaysia is home to numerous political parties throughout all its states, some of the notable ones include parties from major coalitions including Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). Being one of many, it is without a doubt challenging, if not impossible for a political party to work independently and win a simple majority to take control of the government. This resulted in parties of the same goals, ideologies and overall vision to band together and create a coalition.
Pakatan Harapan (PH)
Chaired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Pakatan Harapan houses 4 political parties namely Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Amanah Negara (AMANAH) and United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), while holding a close alliance with Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA). In the most recent general elections held in 2022, despite PH leading the votes, they were not able to secure a simple majority, resulting in a unity government with BN, which had held the government seat for over 60 years.
Barisan Nasional (BN)
Chaired by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and also the current vice prime minister, the parties under BN includes United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).
Perikatan Nasional (PN)
Founded only in 2020, Perikatan Nasional was formed to replace then-incumbent government that consisted of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU), Parti Islam Se Malaysia (PAS), Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (SABAH STAR), and Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP). It is currently chaired by one of the previous Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin Yassin.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)
Formed after a unanimous decision to separate itself from BN, a Sarawak-based alliance was formed by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP). The coalition is led by its incumbent chairman Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Abang Abdul Rahman Johari Abang Openg.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)
Chaired by Datuk Seri Panglima Hajji Hajiji Noor, GRS was formed similar to GPS to tailor to Sabah’s needs, with its members include Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Sabah (SABAH BERSATU), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (SABAH STAR), Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP), and Parti Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Sabah Bersatu (USNO).
Party Ideologies
Despite each party having different ideologies and histories, those aligned within a coalition are recognised for sharing ambitions and national objectives substantial enough to facilitate collaboration. This can be seen in manifestos made by these coalitions for GE-15, scrutinised below.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) Manifesto
Focused on well-being and the overall nation’s economy, their manifesto promised reformations on taxations, and improving the standards of living of workers in the country through permanent jobs offered to contract health workers and public healthcare.
Barisan Nasional (BN) Manifesto
While famous for maintaining race-based privileges, BN’s manifesto had not mentioned any new policies aimed at the special privileges of Malays, possibly hinting at progression. Instead, the manifesto had focused on eliminating poverty through free education and laptops for students in the B40 families.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) Manifesto
Owing to the membership of PAS, a conservative Islam party, the manifesto had included heavy endorsement of Syariah courts and its relevant legal system, while including programmes that focused on special privilege for Malays. According to Researcher Lee Hwok Aun, these programmes can be noted as an attempt to increase their pull in the Malay community.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Manifesto
Aimed at serving the needs of the public residing in Sarawak, the manifesto mentions political and economic stability, economic prosperity, urban and rural development, social justice and religious freedom amongst others.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Manifesto
Similar to GPS, GRS focuses on its citizens in Sabah, with its manifesto covering economic prosperity and aims to encourage autonomy over the state by assuming control of the electricity industry and the reclamation of rights under Malaysian Agreement of 1963 (MA63).
Conclusion
While ideologies and manifestos including its party members were touched upon in this article, it is evident that we had barely scratched the surface of knowledge. In order to understand more on each coalition, further research is definitely needed on each political party and what they advocate for. Despite having enough similarities to build a coalition, internal disputes between party members would still be inevitable amidst conflicting objectives that could have a backlash on the development of the economy. Having introduced you to the many political parties and the current state of the unity government, it is important to understand the steps it took to get there and the current political landscape in detail.
Thus, strap in for the next instalment of the series, which will launch you back decades into the past, delving into the events that had led us to where we are today, and exploring the individuals accountable for the country’s development.
