IF THE 14th general election (GE14) in 2018 marked a watershed in Malaysian history, the looming GE16 could be another turning point but this time, it could alter the whole political landscape.
The GE14 was markedly exceptional in the sense that one political heavyweight champion was knocked out after dominating the ring for 60 years.
However, the euphoria that swept the country fizzled out when the people woke up to a false dawn.
A cocktail of betrayal, backstabbing and treachery saw new leaders entering the front door of power through the backstairs. There was no political stability.
Eventually, Malaysia went to the polls again on Nov 19, 2022. The notable outcome of GE15 was to produce a hung parliament which later gave birth to a unity government after the palace stepped in to untie the knot which squabbling politicians were unable to do so.
Now, all eyes are on GE16 which could be the mother of all battles because at stake is the very survival of democracy in a multi-racial and multi-religious country.
The battle lines have long been drawn up with politicians all fired up to go at each other hammer and thongs.
This time around the over-riding campaign narrative will be all about race and religion. Forget about reforms. Forget about corruption. Forget about bold economic plans. Forget about becoming AI powerhouse. Forget about national unity.
It is increasingly evident that national unity is just a figment of the imagination, an illusion, a mirage. Nobody wants to talk about the benefits of solidarity or shared purposes anymore. All are keen to deliver fiery sermons from the pulpits.
All out fight
The GE16 arena will attract combatants from several political parties but the main draw will be a showdown between the Malay-based parties and their non-Malay opponents.
Essentially, it will be a fight between the Malays and the non-Malays. It will not be an ideological contest between one party against another.
Once the bell rings, one can expect the races to line up respectively behind their diametrically opposed platforms.
On one side of the great divide will be a grand alliance of all Malay parties whose sole aim is to consolidate and perpetuate their political and racial supremacy and to pursue total control of the economy.
On the other side will be all the non-Malay opponents fighting a rearguard action against the onslaught of largely bigoted reactionary forces out to dismantle the house that democracy built ever since the nation became free and independent so many years ago.
For sure, it will be a no-holds-barred bout with everyone taking off their kid gloves and going for the finishing blow.
The stakes are high for all sides: an overwhelming victory for the majority race will mean a complete overhaul of Putrajaya. This time there might not be a single representative from the other ethnic communities sitting in the Cabinet.
Conversely, a strong showing from the other ethnic groups will put a brake on the surging turquoise (blue and green) waves that many quarters believe will bury the unity government.
Race and religion are all that is required to sway the emotions and feelings of the majority electorate. These two sensitive issues will be dragged to the forefront of politics which will overshadow every other matter.
When Malay voters are told they have a moral and compulsory obligation to defend their faith perceived as coming under attack from “infidels”, they will have no hesitation to cast their ballots for the party that champions their faith.
And when the dominant race hears that throwing their full support behind a party that can guarantee you a seat in heaven, it becomes all the more urgent for them to ensure clerical power must supplant the government we have today. In short, theocracy must replace democracy.
‘Minorities again at majority’s mercy’
With all indications pointing to a massive victory for the grand alliance, Malaysia will see a totally different political ball game on an uneven playing field after the dust has settled.
For one, the book of democracy that had been the guiding light for decades will have to be discarded to make way for laws based largely on religious imperatives.
The new government will not waste time venting out its anger on the minority ethnic groups with a series of laws that will enforce restrictions or outright ban on practices that are arbitrarily deemed to have gone against the precepts of the official religion.
It’s all about the politics of vengeance. Once in power, every policy that was formulated by the Madani regime, especially those that fell under jurisdiction of the non-Malay ministers, will be discarded – all in the name of religion.
Many of the rights and cultural practices that the ethnic communities have been enjoying for so long will be taken away – all in the name of protecting the sanctity of the dominant faith.
Since the new rulers have the numbers, every piece of federal legislation will be bulldozed through Parliament, that is, if the supreme law-making body is still in existence.
Even the Federal Constitution, the supreme law of the country, will lose its august position to holy verses handed down from above which will govern every aspect of life.
Race relationship will be strained to breaking point as a result of the fallacious belief that mixing with the other citizens of different faiths is tantamount to betraying your race and religion.
The political landscape will be unrecognisable after GE16 because all the familiar multi-coloured lights of democracy will be switched off, leaving only one solitary green-blue bulb to light up a barren terrain.
Against this bleak background, Malaysia will not enjoy social peace because the fires of discontent among the minority ethnic groups will simmer as they strive to regain lost ground. – Oct 12, 2026
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
