Why the denial of BN's 2/3 majority is good for us...

In 2004, BN obtained 198 seats (90.4%) out of a total of 219 parliamentary seats. Arrogance was the rule rather than exception in Parliament, where Nazri used to say that they were given the mandate (as in implementing the Internal Security Act) and therefore they were allowed to do as they please. It culminated in the passing of the bill, which approved the extension of tenure of the Election Commission Chairman by one year, which was obviously for the purpose of the General Election.

Umno, on its own, could almost form the government with 109 seats (49.8%). It just needed one more MP to have a simple majority of one. This gave rise to the arrogance of Ali Rustam who told PPP at their convention in Malacca that if they wanted to leave the coalition, they could do so now, there was not need to wait.

BN’s majority was so great then, that it could do without MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP and yet had 2/3 majority at 67% (147 seats)!

BN’s majority without Sarawak parties was 80.9% (177 seats).

BN’s majority without Sabah parties was 85.4% (187 seats).

In 2008, the results of the recently concluded General Election were a real humbling experience for BN in general, and Umno in particular, being the anchor party. It was devastating to MCA (having won only 15 out of 40), and major loss of face to MIC (its President lost in his stronghold of 30 years), PPP (its President lost its only seat in Parliament) and Gerakan (whose acting President lost the only state his party had governed for many years).

BN obtained only 140 seats (63%) out of a total of 222 seats, which denied it the crucial 2/3 majority, which it had got used to for the purpose of amending the Constitution at will.

Umno obtained only 79 seats (36%) and it had to depend on others to form the government.

While it could still form the government with 120 seats (54%) without MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP; or without Sabah parties (even excluding its Umno branch) with 116 seats (52%); it could not form the government without Sarawak parties with only 110 seats or (49.5%)!

The opposition, on the other hand, obtained 82 seats (37%) and it could actually form the government with the crossover of only 30 seats!

Overall, it provides a very different political scenario with the possibility of an alternative government. The arrogant Nazri came out with an amazingly humble statement as published in The Star which some took it as with sarcasm:

The election results signal the beginning of the possible demise of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and special rights for the Malays, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

The Umno supreme council member said it appeared that the Malays, especially in the town areas, had become more confident now and felt they could compete with the other races on a level playing field.

“We (Umno) have to really sit down and think. It looks like the educated Malays do not care about Malay rights anymore,” he said when contacted.

“The Malay doctors, lawyers, engineers feel they have made it on their own merit.

“It looks like the NEP is not something that can be used to persuade the Malays to support the Barisan Nasional.

“The Malays are saying ‘you can’t scare us by talking about us losing our rights, because we are here on our own merit’.”

Nazri said it looked like some Malays felt that the NEP was unfair, and questioned why special rights should be given to the Malays.

He described the new confidence among the Malays as good for the Malay psyche.

In the just concluded election, the Barisan only managed a simple majority in Parliament, and lost five states (Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan, Penang and Perak) to the Opposition.

The Opposition had largely said they would dismantle the NEP and put in a place a new affirmative action policy based on need rather than race.

Nazri, who retained his Padang Rengas parliamentary seat by a majority of 1,749 votes, said he barely survived the political tsunami.

He said the youngsters – Chinese, Indians and Malays – who returned from Kuala Lumpur to vote in Perak had tried to persuade their parents, who are Barisan supporters, to either not go out to vote or vote for the Opposition.

“I only survived because of my personal touch with the voters,” he said.

He believed the political landscape in the country had changed irreversibly and that all parties would now have to work harder.

“Every wakil rakyat will have to work to win the hearts of the people. This is good for Malaysia because, at the end of the day, it is the rakyat who benefits,” he said.




(The above chart is copied from an article in The Economist)