Umno's 'no DAP' in Johor – but what about in Putrajaya?

Onn Hafiz’s “I’d rather give up the MB’s post than govern with DAP” stance in Johor, ostensibly on a matter of principle, might be laudable, if not for one uncomfortable fact. Umno–Barisan Nasional is already governing with the DAP in Putrajaya.

Caretaker Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi declared that the DAP would not be part of a future BN-led state government in Johor, drawing a distinction between state politics and federal-level cooperation.

But the distinction is a thin one, and many will find it hard to swallow.

Performing dismally at the 2022 general election, BN won only 30 parliamentary seats, its worst-ever performance.

Umno then grabbed the lifeline thrown its way in the form of the “unity government”, even though it meant working alongside its long-declared foe, the DAP.

BN’s leaders also secured a generous share of the spoils. Despite winning only 26 seats, Umno secured the deputy PM’s post and several key ministerial portfolios. They wanted to stay relevant.

So the question that demands an answer is: where were Umno–BN’s principles when they decided to cosy up to the DAP (and Pakatan Harapan) then?

Recall the words of the late DAP chairman Karpal Singh: “In politics there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends but there must be permanent principles.”

It is an axiom Umno–BN appears to have applied selectively, embracing the “no permanent enemies” part with enthusiasm while setting aside the “permanent principles” bit, at least when political survival was on the line immediately after the 2022 election.

Yet having governed alongside the DAP at the federal level since 2022, the caretaker menteri besar now appears emboldened by BN’s numerical dominance in the Johor state legislature. He now shows his disdain for the DAP, after BN won a two-thirds supermajority in the 2022 Johor state election, securing 40 of 56 seats.

Riding on voter discontent with PH, and buoyed by predictions of a strong Umno–BN showing in the upcoming Johor state election, Umno now has the luxury of thumbing its nose at the very party that is its partner in Putrajaya.

The DAP, for its part, is not without blame either. It consistently declared it would not work with Umno–BN – and then did exactly that. Whatever justification was offered about political stability at the time, the DAP bent its own core values when it joined hands with its old adversary in the unity government.

Until recently, the Umno–BN collaboration with the DAP in the unity government appeared largely untroubled, at least on the surface.

But now the true nature of the “no permanent friends” maxim is reasserting itself. Contributing factors include growing discontent with the PH government among the ethnic minorities and younger voters, the disastrous performance of the DAP and PKR in Sabah, and the deepening political divide among ethnic Malay voters.

Given this environment, Umno–BN’s leaders may have calculated that breaking away on its own is worth the gamble. They may also have concluded that, unlike the governing pact after the 2022 election, they can no longer risk the anger of their own members or Malay voters broadly if they are seen to be in partnership with the DAP.

But say what you will: Umno–BN remains what it has always been – a creature of political survival, adept at spreading its butter on whichever side of the bread is up at the time.

And for the DAP to have ever believed that Umno–BN had truly changed its stripes? That, from the very start, was wishful thinking.