By : Dr Toh Kin Woon

SUPPORTERS of the major Barisan Nasional component parties - Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan - are lamenting the considerable erosion of support for their parties on March 8.

Many others, however, welcome the outcome of the 12th general election. They see this significant shift, in support for Parti Keadilan Rakyat-DAP-Pas, as the possible beginning of a two-party system in this country.

If this is the case, Malaysia will, henceforth, see the emergence of a more competitive political system, replacing the previous system where there was an overwhelming concentration of power in the ruling BN coalition and, in particular, Umno.

But for this to happen, it is imperative that the alliance between the tripartite grouping be further strengthened.

Thus far, their coming together had been premised largely on ensuring one-to-one contests between one of these parties and BN. But this won't suffice, if it is to present itself as a viable alternative to BN in the contest for control of the Dewan Rakyat, and hence the federal government, in the next general election.
A closer alliance based on common political goals and ideals and preferably using a common symbol, may be necessary. This may be too much for DAP to swallow, however, especially if the alliance involves Pas.

But a merger between PKR and DAP may well be possible.

More significantly, the outcome of the general election also signals a potential departure from race-based politics and the rise of multiracial parties.

PKR did particularly well, with 31 members of parliament comprising Malays, Chinese and Indians.

What was impressive was the success registered by PKR and DAP in mixed constituencies traditionally dubbed as BN strongholds.

In past elections, Pas and DAP were relatively strong in predominantly Malay and Chinese seats respectively.

Significant inroads were made by DAP and PKR into the so-called middle ground while BN did relatively badly.

The fact that multiracial parties such as PKR, and to a lesser extent DAP, could do well in constituencies covering the middle ground suggests that people are now prepared to accept parties that propound a socioeconomic agenda that is not race-based but based more on needs.

If so, this marks a refreshing and welcome change from the past, where electoral success was often based on a narrow ethnic appeal. It is to be hoped that the ruling BN should take note of this shift and make the necessary changes to past policies that run counter to what seems to be the wish of all communities for a more non-communal and needs-based approach.

This significant political change should be welcomed by parties that profess to be multiracial, including Gerakan, long a member of the ruling BN. For, after all, multiracialism was what was advocated by the party founders. Its constitution also propounded a social democratic platform.

Since joining BN in the early 1970s, however, the party has increasingly lost its multiethnic character. It is increasingly being perceived by many outsiders as just another Chinese-based party, its Indian membership notwithstanding.

Worse, it has been inconsistent in following a truly non-racial Malaysian line. It often vacillates from the racial to the non-racial, and back.

Perhaps the limited space for multiracial parties within BN, which is dominated by three major race-based parties, may have contributed to this trend in Gerakan.

In the recent elections, the party fared badly. It only achieved a success rate of 16 per cent in parliamentary seats. But more devastating was the total annihilation of the party in the state and parliamentary elections in Penang, the party's power base, where it lost in all seats contested.

With this major electoral setback, there is hardly anything for Gerakan to celebrate on its 40th anniversary, this year. Instead, the anniversary might be better devoted to some soul-searching on where the party had gone wrong.

A way must be found to bring Gerakan back to its former glory, when the party contributed to the economic development of Penang for more than four decades.

Going forward, the party needs to return to basics, as advocated by the party's founders. It needs to stay firm and true to a non-racial approach. Gerakan must continue to adopt a social democratic agenda for progress in the economy, politics, education, health, transportation and housing.

Assuming that this is accepted, in principle, by the leadership and the party at large, it must next mull over the strategic options available to realise this basic socio-economic and political agenda. There are several options. One is to stay in BN and have more of the same, with the party unable to abandon its racial character. This is the least desirable for it may lead to the party's oblivion.

The second is to stay and seek reforms from within. One major reform, and one which had been advocated earlier by the party's Youth chief, is for all component parties to merge to form a truly multiracial BN.

Besides doing away with racial appeals, it will avert the seemingly lack of parity in the relationship between Umno and the rest.

It was this that had, in part, cost MCA, MIC and Gerakan dearly in the recent elections. The party must, however, give itself a time frame to pursue this major change.

Should it fail to achieve this within the given time span, it must then consider leaving BN and independently develop the party as a multiracial social democratic party.

It could, for instance, join forces with other like-minded parties outside BN to forge an even larger multiracial movement for greater democracy, ethnic equality, gender parity and social justice.

Ultimately, it is up to the leaders and party members to consider these, and other, options for a revival of the party. But reform and change it must, if it is to remain a force that can fulfil the ever-rising tide of expectations of the Malaysian electorate in a rapidly changing world.

Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon was a Gerakan state executive councillor in Penang. He is currently executive chairman of the Socioeconomic and Environmental Research Institute and adviser to the Institute of Training and Development in Penang. These are his personal views and do not reflect the party's position.