DAP-Umno Partnership Possible On Paper, But Unlikely For Now, Say Analysts
Analysts say differing voter bases could make a DAP-Umno pact workable, but ideological differences, Malay voter sentiment and a struggle for political dominance remain major obstacles.
- A DAP-Umno coalition is theoretically feasible as both parties draw support from different voter bases, avoiding direct constituency competition.
- Political analysts say the partnership remains unlikely due to ideological differences, voter sentiment, and concerns over which party would dominate.
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A direct political collaboration between DAP and Umno may be feasible in theory, but political analysts believe such a partnership remains unlikely for the time being due to electoral, ideological and leadership concerns.
Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia principal adviser Dr Oh Ei Sun said a DAP-Umno coalition could, in principle, be workable as the two parties largely draw support from different segments of the electorate.
He said DAP primarily represents non-Malay constituencies while Umno continues to rely heavily on Malay support, meaning the two parties would not necessarily have to compete directly for the same voter base.
“In principle a DAP-Umno coalition government is quite feasible, primarily because their core constituencies do not overlap, with DAP focusing on the non-Malay constituencies while Umno focusing on the Malay.
“As such, they do not have to fight over the same constituencies, which is often the main source of contention between coalition partners that tend to tear apart such coalitions, as was the case between Umno and PAS in the 1970s and Umno and Bersatu just a few years ago,” Oh told TRP.
He, however, said the political reality is far different, with Umno no longer wielding the influence and power it once did.
International Islamic University Malaysia political analyst and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Prof Dr Syaza Shukri similarly agreed that a DAP-Umno partnership could work in theory, but said the possibility largely ends there.
“Somehow I don’t see it happening as a direct DAP-Umno collaboration.
“On one hand, I do agree that they are among the more stable parties in the country. But I don’t see it happening, or at least for now,”
She said DAP’s presence in Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the unity government had already contributed to Umno losing support among Malay voters.
“If it’s about appealing to Malays, I don’t think working with DAP is the way to go,” she said.
Syaza also questioned whether Umno would be comfortable having DAP as a partner, given the latter’s strength among non-Malay voters.
“I don’t even think Umno would want such a strong non-Malay party to be its partner. MCA and MIC do not threaten Umno’s position, but DAP might,” she said.
Who’s Calling The Shots?
Her assessment comes amid Oh’s observation that a DAP-Umno partnership would still face several major obstacles even if the two parties could overcome their historical political differences.
One of the biggest challenges would be parliamentary numbers, with both parties potentially struggling to secure a simple majority even when combined.
Oh noted that many Malay voters had shifted towards PAS, while DAP had also faced disappointment among portions of its traditional non-Malay support base.
Apart from electoral priority, ideological hostility between supporters of DAP and Umno could also pose a serious challenge, particularly if voters viewed cooperation between the two parties as a betrayal of their respective political principles.
Another potential fault line would be the question of which party would dominate the coalition.
With DAP potentially holding more parliamentary seats than Umno, or at least a comparable number, competition for political primacy could emerge and ultimately undermine the partnership.
PAS + DAP = Stability
Syaza, meanwhile, offered a different possibility, arguing that a PAS-DAP cooperation could make more political sense despite their sharply contrasting ideologies.
“In fact, I would even say that PAS-DAP working together would make more sense than Umno-DAP because PAS-DAP represents the ‘revolutionary’ element in Malaysian politics even though ideologically they’re on opposing ends,” she said.
She added that a PAS-DAP partnership could potentially have a stabilising effect on Malaysian politics.
“In fact, the combined strength of PAS and DAP would be a stabilising effect in Malaysia. But I don’t see much benefit for either Umno or DAP to work directly together,” she said.
For now, therefore, while a DAP-Umno arrangement may appear viable when viewed purely through the lens of electoral geography, the political realities surrounding voter sentiment, ideology and control make such a coalition a difficult proposition.
DAP members yesterday voted to remain in the Madani government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim although there are still calls for Pakatan Harapan to review ties with Umno.
Similarly, there have been calls from within Umno to leave the Madani government amid concern with ties to DAP.
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