Survival Masa Depan Kepimpinan Politik Melayu Pasca Pilihan Raya Umum (Pru) Ke-12, 2008

Abstract

The political tsunami of the 12th General Election in Malaysia has contributed to the emerging scenario and new political dimensions. A fragmentation had not only shown itself among the multiple ethnics but had been rather exposed amongst the membership of the ruling party, in particular. Terrible loss of seats dominated by the Barisan Nasional (BN) had dented the loyalty and faith held towards the BN, especially in the five states which captured by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). And UMNO being the backbone to BN has to shoulder such a great responsibility in order to ensure that BN remains relevant in Malaysian politics. As a result, UMNO has to confront a dilemma to stay as a party struggling on the Malay agenda or transform to a more non-communal platform. The results of this election has been a witness to a transition, whereby the support of the Chinese and Indian voters has simultaneously gone to the oppositions. In this context, UMNO should adopt the non-communal attitude in their stance. However, the readiness of this party to move on this platform seems impeded, given that the ideology of this party which centers on the Malay struggles has been very much fused. This article will discuss and demonstrate the direction of the Malaysian political growth.