Since the majority is always wrong, might we try one election day where all the losers take office?
– Robert Bault, author
ONE thing is certain in our Malaysian elections now. Do not expect any candidate to win unopposed.
Unlike the good old days, the political landscape today is more fragmented. Although Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) can claim they are the dominant coalitions at national level, their opponents and those involved in a “Third Force” do not think so.
Understandably so. Several new parties were established in recent years and their members are ready to join the electoral fray. Surely, when people join parties, they are keen to embark on a political career and this means they would want to partake in elections.
In the past, some candidates contesting in far-flung constituencies might be fortunate enough to get a free ride and win without contest. Do not expect such a scenario now.
I believe that for the past two or three general elections, no rural seats in the peninsula or the Borneo territories have been won uncontested.
In the 15th general election last November, all the 222 seats saw multi-cornered fights. I like to state that this is healthy as it is an indication that a vibrant democracy is alive and kicking.
However, those in power or the incumbents would not necessarily agree. They would prefer straight fights as split or protest votes going to a third party may reduce the chances of victory for the incumbent.
So, what do political parties normally do before the elections? Try to negotiate a “straight fight” deal among themselves.
We have witnessed this only too often. Leaders from different parties will go to the negotiating table with optimism and high hopes but would usually end up disappointed.
Let’s get real. This is politics. No incumbent is prepared to give up the seat, usually considered a “safe” one, to a candidate from another party.
When this happens, it means the end of any peace talk. The parties will revert to square one and there will be multi-way contests in the elections.
I can recall one glaring example before GE15 in Sarawak. Two opposition parties, PSB and DAP, attempted to make a deal before the polls.
PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh asked for the Sibu parliamentary seat where the incumbent is Oscar Ling of the DAP.
Of course, DAP would have none of it. Just because of one seat, the negotiation halted and the opposition parties went their separate ways and fought each other. We know the end results of GE15. The talks were a waste of time.
Another interesting episode has taken place between two small opposition parties in Malaya ahead of the six state elections on Aug 12.
Opposition parties working together on a common platform is not uncommon but this newly cobbled alliance of the youth-centric MUDA and Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) has been described a breath of fresh air by some observers.
In a press conference last Saturday, PSM chairperson Dr Michael Jeyakumar and MUDA president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said “this is just the first step and we hope we can work together to bring new politics that are much cleaner for our country”.
“Our parties aim to bring fresh perspectives to the state elections, eliminating the need for fear-mongering tactics and exploitation of racial issues for political gain,” they stressed.
New, cleaner politics and eliminating fear-mongering tactics. Noble objectives indeed but easier said than done.
Nevertheless, I wish PSM and MUDA the best of luck in their collaboration.
Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq also made an interesting statement by reminding PH incumbents not to be too complacent and think that the people are their “safe deposits” in the upcoming polls.
“The seats belong to the people. Most leaders are too comfortable and think that no one can compete in their areas.
“They think it’s their safe seats and cannot be ‘messed with’. It’s not fair,” he said.
I agree because I think incumbents believe they “own” their seats and some would pass the seat to their sons or daughters to contest once they have retired. Such a nepotistic culture must stop.
Let me add that this includes the Muar parliamentary seat in Johore where Syed Saddiq himself is the two-term incumbent. Let me remind the MUDA president that “Syed Saddiq does not own Muar” too.
Looking at the positives of multi-cornered fights, I think that political pluralism should be encouraged and this means that multiple parties and candidates are allowed to participate in the electoral process.
This ensures that a diverse range of ideologies and perspectives are represented, giving voters more choices. Different candidates and parties may represent varying ideologies, policies and interests.
In the long term, this will ensure that we will have a healthy, vibrant democracy and most importantly, voters have the opportunity to choose only the best (sincere and trustworthy) candidate to represent them.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
