Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said the biggest stumbling block to Umno grassroots’ willingness to support Pakatan Harapan is DAP, with the party perceived by Umno members as holding a dominant role in Putrajaya.
He said making DAP step down from the Cabinet as a whole would be quite impossible, but the best way forward for Anwar to win greater Malay support is by minimising the perception that DAP dominates the federal government.
“DAP has been tolerable and quiet because they know the alternative is not so rosy if they were to be too dominant and vocal in the federal government.
“But from the perspective of Malay voters, they see DAP as being too dominant. So, in the long-term, the tweaking of the Cabinet in a reshuffle must reflect what Amirudin Shari did in Selangor.
“This is not to show that Umno is dominant, but that PKR, Amanah, plus Umno can control DAP. That is the long-term strategy, because to strengthen Umno alone is going to be difficult. But the combination of the three parties will create a sense of strength,” he told FMT.
The Selangor executive council comprises seven Malay exco members, two Chinese and one Indian. All three non-Malay representatives are from DAP.
Azmi had said the exco lineup could be aimed at dispelling fears that the Chinese, through DAP, are in charge of the government, a perception used by PAS and Bersatu in their state election campaigns earlier this month.
Last Saturday, Umno Supreme Council member Nur Jazlan Mohamed said Pulai Umno members may withhold their support for Amanah’s Suhaizan Kaiat in the Sept 9 parliamentary by-election.
However, the former Pulai MP added that he will make maximum use of the two-week campaign period to convince Umno members in the constituency to throw their support behind Suhaizan.
Meanwhile, James Chin of the University of Tasmania said Umno’s demonisation of DAP over many years is one reason the Barisan Nasional linchpin’s supporters and grassroots are finding it hard to come to terms with the new alliance.
He said DAP is already in the backseat of the government, having just four ministers compared to Umno’s six despite being the largest single party in the unity government.
“Umno members just cannot accept the party suddenly turning around to work with their ‘permanent enemy’,” he said.
Chin also said Umno grassroots are not used to the party not being in the driving seat, pointing out that Anwar’s immediate predecessor was Ismail Sabri Yaakob, an Umno vice-president at the time.