As most analysts predicted, Barisan Nasional’s electoral understanding with Perikatan Nasional helped it secure an even stronger mandate in the just-concluded Melaka election.
This election offers another illustration of how the political landscape has undergone considerable changes in recent years, with traditional rivalries increasingly giving way to political cooperation and coalition-building.
BN and PN setting aside their differences to contest under a common electoral arrangement would have been difficult to imagine when both coalitions were competing fiercely for political dominance.
The nation’s increasingly fragmented political landscape in recent years has made such cooperation more important, even vital, for long-term national political stability.
This is as it should be. Long-term political well-being for the country demands that responsible political groupings think outside the box with the end of rigid political boundaries.
Traditional rivalries may be making way for increasing political pragmatism all round, as parties show willingness to work with opponents as and when circumstances demand it.
Our political landscape has always demanded that political parties and their leaders appreciate coalition-building as a necessity. Negotiations and compromises are critical to make coalitions workable and durable.
This goes to show that politics as the art of the possible — which worked so well for half a century since Merdeka — is not lost on our current generation of leaders.
That said, the electorate deserves the utmost respect and regard. It expects and should get consistency and clarity. Parties must explain how their alliances reconcile with their previously-held positions and principles.
Voters should not be left guessing as to what they are actually endorsing. Flushed with overwhelming victories, coalitions may understandably want to savour their electoral honeymoons.
But they must never forget that the real test comes after elections.
Coalition-building and political compromises may work fine at the theoretical level; now comes the harder part, putting all that into practice and showing voters that a new partnership works for and in their interests.
If there is something that never goes out of fashion in Malaysia, it is political moderation in governance.
The nation has gone through thick and thin by practising the art of compromise which requires moderation, not just in views and utterances but through actions and policy implementation.
Each political alliance will need to demonstrate that it can function as an effective governing arrangement rather than simply an electoral compact that delivers the votes and wins legislative seats.
The business of government is not always headline-grabbing. In fact, it may be more about ensuring the necessary rules and laws are in place and seeing to it that they work well in everyday practice.