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Malay Muslim Parties' Pact Rattles Nerves in Multiethnic Malaysia

Zsombor Peter

   BANGKOK - A new political alliance between Malaysia's two largest Malay
   Muslim parties is rousing fears the move could further stall the
   government's progressive agenda and raise already simmering racial and
   religious tensions in the country.
   Ethnic Malays and other indigenous groups known as Bumiputra make up
   nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 31.8 million people, with Chinese and
   Indians accounting for 21% and 6%,respectively. The country's Muslims,
   Buddhists and Hindus make up roughly the same mix.
   The rulingPakatanHarapancoalition drew heavily on Chinese and Indian
   votes to pull off a shock election defeat last year ofBarisanNasional,
   the political juggernaut that had ruled the country since independence
   from Britain in 1957.

   'Power should be with us'
   UMNO, the driving force behindBarisan, formalized an alliance with the
   Islamist PAS party on Saturday in a bid to win back power and reverse
   course on policies they say are eroding the constitutional privileges
   of the country's majority Malays and Muslims.
   "Asthe majority ofthis country, we should form the government. The
   power should be with us," PAS spokesmanKamaruzamanMohamad told VOA in
   explaining the reason for the alliance.
   "If we want to defend the rights of Islam, the rights of
   BahasaMelayu[the Malay language], the special rights of the Bumiputra
   and Malay, we have to be united so that we can [raise] our voice, we
   can show our strength, so that this government will not abuse these
   special rights."

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