FORMATION OF THE ALLIANCE, ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO SHARE POWER

After realizing the difficult challenges they would be facing in the struggle for independence, the Malay Leadership later brought in the non-Malays into the mainstream struggle. This was to ensure that the claim for independence would reflect more of a total move. With intelligence and vision which emphasized long-term objectives, a new political recipe to initiate the cooperation of all races in the local political arena must quickly be formulated.   
 
The Malays realized they must have a political party as a vehicle for their struggle and the birth of UMNO on 11th May 1946 was a result of this. Thus, other races felt that they too needed political parties, for them to be heard. As a result, a political movement of races in Malaya spearheaded by Tunku and Tun Tan Cheng Lock founded the Alliance (PERIKATAN), the merge of UMNO and MCA. The Alliance's first test was the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council's election in 1952 which the Alliance won convincingly.
 
The concept of cooperation has resulted in excellent success and this prompted the MIC to later join the Alliance. The Alliance then contested in the first General Election on the 27th July 1955 and won 51 out of 52 seats contested. Hence the Alliance was given the mandate to form the first government with Tunku Abdul Rahman as the first Chief Minister. He later named the first Cabinet Ministers which consisted of leaders from various different races in Malaya. The Alliance was a bold experiment initiated from the minds of Tunku, Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Sambanthan. 
 

Cooperation of races continued because under the Alliance, it was effectively accepted by the people and became a new strength to realize a self-ruling system and later participated in the quest to claim independence. The cooperation of races formula, the concept of power sharing and race integration in Malaya was clearly getting the support of the people. All race leaders had the vision that an independent Malaya would not succeed without race integration for the sake of peace and harmony.  

The people's support was clearly evident in the 1955 General election, where the Alliance won 51 out of 52 seats contested. Next, they garnered 74 out of 104 sets contested in the 1959 General Election. Alliance's success escalated when it won the 1964 Election (89 out of 104 seats) and the 1969 Election (74 out of 144 seats) 

 

After the nation gained Independence, the thing that was emphasized parallel with the Constitution is the people's right to society. Since the prize of Independence is so meaningful to the Malayan people, thus increasing the number of political parties in the country, whereby creating a situation, where there is too much politicking among the people. The situation might divert the struggle to fill Independence because too much time was spent on politics and the struggle for the people was forgotten

The Malayan Leadership felt efforts to develop the nation would be in jeopardy because too many people were involved in politics that other importance came second. According to the government the urge to get involved in politics should be reduced to make way for a more important National Agenda Since the Government's advice was disregarded and the people got carried away with politicking, the integration of the people and the nation's stability were severely tested on the black day of 13th May, when race riots transpired after the 1969 General Election. 

 

It was lucky that the Government intervened quickly to disperse the race riots which was spreading like wild fire because if the riots were not controlled and taken care of, Malaysia's future would be in the dark. Race riots became an issue that could threaten the nation. A more realistic political formula must be sought to ensure that race integration would become the base of harmony, stability, peace and development for the nation and all races. 

 

The Alliance political formula was widened to become a larger political cooperation under the Malay--non-Malay politics to the whole nation. This concept was spread with the formation of a Coalition Government at the Federal and State levels. This cooperation of various and multiple parties was later institutionalized as BARISAN NASIONAL (BN) and was formally registered on the 1st July 1974. Besides UMNO, MCA and MIC, BARISAN NASIONAL was made up of six other parties, which before this was on the other side of the fence.

Those parties were PAS ( which was later expelled from BN ), Parti Progresif Rakyat ( PPP ), Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia ( GERAKAN ), Sarawak United People's Party ( SUPP ), Parti Pesaka Bumiputra and USNO from Sabah. Only DAP and PSRM refused to join the Coalition. BN, which used the new symbol - the 'dacing' had strengthen and stabilize the Malaysian political situation, and relationship among races had never become closer. Later, other political parties, especially in Sabah and Sarawak joined the BN. These parties are Berjaya from Sabah, SNAP and PBDS from Sarawak. 

 

In the 1990's many new parties surfaced to join Barisan Nasional as a result of the political turmoil in Sabah when PBS walked out of Barisan Nasional. These parties are Akar Bersatu, SAPP, LDP, PBRS and PDS. Today BN consists of 14 parties.

The birth of BN signaled the beginning of a new era for Malaysia which is now ruled by a multiple race component parties, a struggle of the united community. Among the main objective of BN is the struggle to strive for cooperation among races, peace, harmony and justice to ensure Malaysia will continue to develop and prosper, in line with vision 2020. 

 

The Performance of Barisan Nasional in the General Election after its formation, proved to be more excellent when it continued to win two-thirds or more Parliamentary seats. In the 1974 General Election it won 135 out of 154 seats contested; 1978 General Election it swept 130 out of 154 seats; 1982 General Election it controlled 132 out of 154 seats; 1986 General Election it captured 148 out of 177 seats; and at the 1990 General Election 127 out of 180 seats were gained. The people continued to give their mandate of more than two-third, when it acquired 163 out of 192 seats contested, to continue the excellent record and tradition of BN since 1955. It's not easy for any party or any Coalition Party including the opposition to rival, defeat or replace Barisan Nasional.

 

The people accepted the concept of BN based on several reasons. One of the main reasons is a successful political formula that was able to unite all the people from different backgrounds into a single united mold with one vision. The major factor that separates BN and other political organization is BN was formed to claim Independence, not to form a government. While other political organization of the same era in other countries had long disappeared, BN remained strong and firm.

 

The thing that makes BN's struggle more realistic and relevant with the current development and suits the people, is the sharing-power concept that is being practiced. Although the Malays could act alone in achieving Independence, they decided to share power and cooperated with the other races after pondering the long-term factor and effect of the Malaysian political scenario. 

 

This multiple-party components placed Justice as its main objective through the 'Justice For All' slogan. Compared to other political organizations, the fairness of BN is reflected by the same number of representatives in the BN Supreme Council - three to a party - irrespective  of the party size or total members. Every component party President holds the Vice-Chairman post except for the UMNO President who is the Chairman. Every decision that is made by the BN Supreme Council, the highest party forum, is reached through consensus. Without a unanimous decision, for example regarding a manifesto, component party membership or sensitive issues, a final decision will not be made. These are the unique characters of BN which makes it a bolder, better and more realistic vehicle for the struggle in Malaysia.