Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Salleh Said Keruak. – Bernama file photo
KOTA KINABALU (June 5): Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Salleh Said Keruak said Malaysia’s increasingly fragmented political landscape has led the country towards the formation of coalition governments after elections.
Salleh, who is also Sabah Umno treasurer, said coalition governments are generally formed in two ways — either before or after an election.
He explained that the first model is the pre-election coalition, where political parties agree to cooperate before polling day, avoid contesting against one another in the same constituencies, and campaign on a common platform and manifesto.
“Malaysia practised this model for several decades through the Alliance Party and later Barisan Nasional.
“From the 1950s until 2018, coalition politics was largely determined before elections,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
He added that the second model is the post-election coalition, where parties contest elections separately and only negotiate to form a government after the results are known.
According to him, post-election coalitions usually emerge when no single party or coalition secures enough seats to form a government on its own.
“Malaysia began moving towards this model as the political landscape became more fragmented. Following the 15th General Election in 2022, no coalition secured a simple majority in Parliament.
“As a result, political parties negotiated after the election and formed a unity government comprising Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and several other parties,” he said.
Salleh noted that Malaysia is not alone in adopting such an approach, as coalition governments formed through post-election negotiations are common in countries such as Germany, New Zealand and Denmark.
He added that South Africa recently formed a coalition government following its 2024 general election after no party obtained an outright majority.
“Coalition politics remains a reality in many democracies. The difference today is not whether coalitions are necessary, but whether they are formed before or after elections.
“Malaysia is now increasingly transitioning from the first model to the second,” he said.
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