Apakah kolaborasi agung jadi kenyataan?

UMNO bercadang membentuk ‘grand collaboration‘ atau ‘kolaborasi agung’ bagi menyatukan parti politik Melayu dan Islam di negara ini.

Cadangan itu diumumkan sendiri presidennya, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ketika menggulung ucapan dasar sempena Perhimpunan Agung UMNO (PAU) 2025 di Pusat Dagangan Dunia (WTC) di sini pada Sabtu.

Beliau menegaskan, kolaborasi itu sama sekali tidak berniat menggugat Kerajaan Perpaduan sedia ada.

Kolaborasi itu bertujuan menyatukan roh dan perjuangan parti Melayu dan Islam dalam satu kerangka lebih besar.

Beliau memohon persetujuan perwakilan untuk membentuk gabungan besar bagi menyatukan seluruh parti politik Melayu-Islam tanpa menganggu kerajaan sedia ada.

Ahmad Zahid yang juga Timbalan Perdana Menteri menegaskan, UMNO tidak mahu mana-mana parti yang menganggotai kolaborasi itu membubarkan parti mereka.

Gabungan itu akan dilakukan secara tidak rasmi terlebih dahulu sebagai langkah awal untuk mewujudkan satu gabungan besar.

Jika gabungan agung ini direalisasikan, landskap politik Melayu dijangka mungkin berubah secara signifikan. Begitupun, persoalannya ialah, bagaimana dan apa mekanisme yang ada untuk membentuknya?

Undi Melayu yang sebelum ini berpecah antara beberapa parti boleh disatukan, sekali gus meningkatkan kekuatan blok Melayu-Islam menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-16.

UMNO berpeluang kembali menjadi paksi penyatuan politik Melayu-Islam dan memperkukuh peranan parti itu selepas kemerosotan prestasi pilihan raya sebelum ini.

Gabungan besar ini berpotensi menimbulkan tekanan strategik terhadap parti bukan Melayu-Islam kerana ia boleh mengubah imbangan kuasa dalam rundingan dasar.

Wujudnya blok Melayu-Islam yang besar boleh mencipta dinamik baharu dalam Kerajaan Perpaduan.

Cabaran terbesar ialah perbezaan ideologi, gaya kepimpinan dan sejarah konflik antara parti-parti Melayu-Islam.

Jika ‘gabungan agung’ tidak direalisasikan, politik Melayu dijangka kekal berpecah dan mengekalkan fragmentasi undi.

Kegagalan merealisasikan cadangan ini boleh dilihat sebagai retorik politik tanpa susulan dan menjejaskan kredibiliti UMNO sebagai parti penyatuan Melayu-Islam.

Kerajaan Perpaduan dijangka kekal lebih stabil dalam jangka pendek tanpa tekanan dalaman daripada blok gabungan besar Melayu-Islam.

Politik Melayu akan terus didominasi naratif pertembungan sesama parti dan bukannya persaingan idea dan dasar yang konstruktif.

Cadangan ‘gabungan agung’ ini berpotensi membentuk semula politik Melayu-Islam dan memperkukuh posisi UMNO jika direalisasikan.

Kegagalan cadangan itu mengekalkan status quo dan fragmentasi politik tanah air. – SINAR

 

Analysts: Will grand collaboration materialise?

UMNO’s proposal for a new grand coalition to unite all Malay-Muslim parties may amount to no more than rhetoric, just like other movements that have struggled to bring together top leaders, says an analyst.

Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said the initiative may be futile without firm commitment from party leaders to discuss it seriously.

“In my view, the main challenge now is getting these party leaders to come together and discuss the structure of such a coalition,” she told FMT when commenting on the proposal announced by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday.

Zahid acknowledged that certain parties had already been courting Umno for closer cooperation. He said he was openly prepared to accept this, provided it did not disrupt the stability of the unity government.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had launched a “Malay secretariat committee” under a “big tent” concept last June to restore the community’s influence in government. But there has been little progress to date and this initiative was not embraced by Umno.

Zahid, at the Umno general assembly on Friday, dismissed the “big tent” approach, saying it had failed to materialise as Umno was not involved. He also said his party was in a better position to unite the Malays.

Syaza raised several questions that could pose challenges for party leaders contemplating joining the new grand coalition.

She said that within Perikatan Nasional (PN), relations among component parties are strained. This could see Umno becoming dominant even though PAS holds more parliamentary seats.

“Won’t disputes like those between PAS and Bersatu emerge (under Zahid’s proposed grand coalition)?”

She also pointed to the dilemma Umno would face in managing its Barisan Nasional (BN) component partners.

“What will happen to MCA and MIC then?”

Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya, however, said Umno’s proposal appeared to be strategic rather than driven by emotional decision-making.

He said that as a component party of the unity government, Umno enjoyed advantages in terms of financial resources and party machinery.

“This could help realise a grand coalition and provide the political strength needed to face the 16th general election.

“However, Umno and BN must also consider new dimensions of influence and support, which should not necessarily be limited to traditional voters,” he said.