adminNajib’s ruling Barisan Nasional retained power in Sunday’s general election by winning 133 parliamentary seats, a simple majority in the 222-seat lower house of parliament.
It failed to improve from the 2008 election when it lost its long held two-thirds parliamentary majority, as more voters, especially the Chinese minority who consisted of around 25 percent of the total population, swung to the opposition, causing a heavy blow to the Chinese based parties in the Barisan.
Speaking at a press conference after claiming victory early yesterday, Najib warned against a “worrying” voting polarisation.
He said his government will embark on a national reconciliation to prevent “extremism and racism.”
“We will continue to promote moderation among multi-racial Malaysians as the Barisan government places great importance on racial harmony and national unity,” he said.
The Malaysian Chinese Association president Chua Soi Lek, who lead the major Chinese component party within the coalition, said his party would not take any cabinet seats as it recorded an even worse polling result than in 2008.
Oh Ei Sun, a political analyst and former political secretary to Najib, warned that the Chinese will be under-represented in the new government if MCA sticks to its claim.
Barisan owed its victory to the strong support in the Malay-dominated rural areas as well as a decent performance in the state of Sabah and Sarawak, two traditional Barisan strongholds in East Malaysia. — Xinhua.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter