Governing Party's Omnipresence in Daily Life Could Give It an Edge : Malaysia's Well-Oiled Election Machine
International Herald Tribune
November 20, 1999
Thomas Fuller

Khamsiah Abdullah will spend the next few days visiting her neighbors and reminding them to "select the right candidate and not to be misled."

She will not need to elaborate. Mrs. Khamsiah is one of thousands of volunteers in the "10 house" system run by Malaysia's government party. She meets with her neighbors twice a week throughout the year, to cook together, iron out local problems or just to chat.

When election season comes, she becomes one of the smallest cogs in an election machinery that has proven itself for the past 42 years, winning every national contest since independence in 1957.

The governing party, the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, is present in people's daily lives here, posing perhaps the biggest challenge to the diverse coalition of opposition parties seeking to unseat the government of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad in the Nov. 29 elections.

During four decades of uninterrupted rule, many of the functions of government have been fused with the party's machinery. Residents of Mrs. Khamsiah's constituency seeking scholarships, permits to start businesses or licenses to drive taxis often apply through their local governing party branch.

"If there's a problem, they come to UMNO," said Mohammed Zain Ariff, a party official in the district. "Land matters, religious matters, permits. We give them advice."

The party forwards requests for licenses or permits to the appropriate government office with a letter of recommendation attached.

"You have a better chance of getting a license if you go through UMNO," said Roha ini Abdul Manan, the chief information officer in Air Tawar, a small town surrounded by oil palm plantations in the southern state of Johor.

One of the country's biggest states, Johor is often referred to as a fortress of the United Malays National Organization. In the last election, in 1995, a coalition led by the governing party won all of the state's 20 parliamentary seats. In the Kota Tinggi constituency, which includes Air Tawar, the governing party won 92 percent of the vote. Margins in neighboring constituencies were similar.

The dismissal, beating and trial of Anwar Ibrahim, the country's former deputy prime minister, has had wide repercussions in northern parts of the country, but the issue has little resonance in Johor. Leaders of the governing party and their opposition counterparts say they do not expect the governing coalition to lose more than three seats in the state.

"The fortress may crack here and there, but it won't crumble," said Lim Guan Eng, deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party, one of the parties challenging the UMNO-led coalition. "We are hoping that within the cracks we can set roots there."

The governing party's strength in states like Johor has provided the party with a cushion against the effects of the Anwar affair. Many Malaysians believe this could guarantee victory for the governing coalition. But without any tradition of reliable opinion polls, the outcome is far from certain.

"Our greatest problem here is that people say, 'You will have no problem, you will win,"' said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Jaafar Albar, the member of Parliament for Kota Tinggi."We are trying to say, 'Yes, we will win. But please come out to vote."'

Outside Mr. Syed's office, the streets were filled with flags and banners put up by the governing coalition. A drive through the town revealed none from the opposition.

With elections less than two weeks away, the governing party's machinery is roaring to life. Thousands of party workers are being mobilized to print and distribute leaflets, organize rallies and tabulate data. Party workers will give every voter in the constituency a computer printout with the voter's name, identity card number and where he or she is registered to vote. In the corner of the print-out are the words "Vote for Barisan National," the governing coalition.

More than 100 vehicles provided by the governing party will shuttle the voters from their homes to their respective polling stations. "UMNO's machine is awesome," said Mr. Lim of the Democratic Action Party. "It's like trying to knock down Mike Tyson."

On a national level, the government has widespread control over the mainstream media, with almost all newspapers controlled by political parties or their corporate allies.

Television commercials urge Malaysians to show their patriotism and remain loyal to the country's leaders. State-run television is currently running a 16-part series called "The Unfinished Struggle" about a doctor from Kedah state who rises to prominence in national politics.

Malaysians do not have to be told who that doctor represents. Prime Minister Mahathir, a physician, is popularly known as Dr. M.

Opposition parties say the governing coalition's control over the media and other instruments of power is unfair.

"We have no access to the mass media, no access to television," Mr. Lim said. "The government won't allow any public meeting halls to be rented to us. Our only way to reach out to voters is through open-air meetings."

But outdoor meetings, he said, might prove difficult. The monsoon has arrived and with it daily torrential rains.

Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune