Malaysia has been ruled by the Malay-dominant Umno and other race-based component parties in the Barisan Nasional since independence in 1957. Umno, MCA, MIC and other political parties were formed mainly along the racial lines.

It is not unrealistic to describe the power structure of Barisan Nasional as similar to that of an apartheid regime where ‘power sharing' was basically based on the wishes of a dominant ruling elite minority.

If once the race-based National Party of South Africa could open its door to all South Africans, why can't the race-based ruling political parties of Malaysia such as Umno, MCA and MIC do likewise?

Umno has been the dominant ruling component party which upholds Malay nationalism, Malay sovereignty and Malay supremacy while other component parties play the role of its subordinates.

As Umno had relied on a populist approach of Malay majority dominance, its power base was hard to break that is until recent years when cronyism, nepotism, corruption and a socio-economic deterioration awakened the Malaysian people to forge substantive political changes.

Umno's 3R tactics (religion, race and royalty) will not actually work to their desired results as before. People now are more concerned about bread-and-butter issues such as the skyrocketing crime rates and living costs, unemployment, stagnant wages, the pressing problem of too many foreign workers, uncertain land ownership, rising utilities' prices and so on.

Umno, MIC, MCA and other race-based Barisan Nasional component parties have to move towards the idea of amalgamation with other component parties to form a Pan-Malaysian non-racial political party and abandon an ideology that is similar to the National Party of South Africa which once imposed the apartheid rule.

The National Party of South Africa has moved to become multiracial and non-racial, and it should be a blueprint for the race-based parties of Barisan Nasional to disband their communal ideology and form Pan-Malaysian parties.

The 2008 general elections have changed the previously race-based political scenario significantly with the emergence of a new opposition coalition, ie, Pakatan Rakyat. Non-racial approaches adopted by each of the Pakatan Rakyat component parties during the March 8, 2008 general elections were coincidentally similar in their non-racial nature and which became effective election strategies.

The more all-rounded PKR successfully portrayed the image of a fighter for justice for all. DAP's latest slogan was ‘Malaysian First' moving to a more middle ground from its once ‘Malaysian Malaysia' principle. Most commendable was that PAS moved bravely from its Islamic state agenda to its ‘Welfare State' agenda and presented a more tactical slogan of ‘Pas for all' during the March 8 general elections.

PAS as an Islamic party has made impressive effort by opening its door to non-Muslim candidates through its Non-Muslim Supporters' Club. Even though it is yet to become a Pan- Malaysian party, its efforts are commendable.

Three Pakatan Rakyat state governments have adopted a non-racial and people-oriented approach to administer their policies. In actual fact, the Pakatan Rakyat component parties could share more common ideological grounds if they are able to look beyond temporary gains.

The only thing to worry about is that these three parties may decide to play to the tune of racial politics which is pretty much orchestrated by the ruling BN and Umno in any event. There are always temptations to safeguard each party's traditional communal ground.

Pakatan Rakyat has to learn from the past experiences when opposition coalition-building failed. And it should understand that the people voted for Pakatan Rakyat precisely for its people- friendly and non-racial outlook. If once, the notorious National Party of South Africa could change its racial appeal to a non-racial one, why can't Pakatan Rakyat and the Barisan Nasional component parties do likewise?

Most ironically, both BN and certain opposition leaders have quoted our federal constitution as a ‘social contract' in defending their political stands. But is our present federal constitution with great impingements on basic human rights a ‘social contract' as what was meant by Jean Jacques Rousseau?

A constitution that perpetuates the government's power to an actual totalitarian state is no ‘social contract' at all. There should be a concerted effort to make our constitution truly a ‘social contract'.

Pakatan Rakyat should compete with Barisan Nasional for more positive changes for the country and people by not turning back the political clock but by looking forward.

Its component parties should try to forge for constitutional and institutional reforms by incorporating universal values of justice and fairness into the federal constitution and also fulfill their promises to incorporate basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of assembly and freedom of information into the federal constitution.

These universal values should be shared by both BN and Pakatan Rakyat in order to get multiple- party involvement for constitutional reforms. Constitutional reforms should be to encourage non- racial politics and the formation of a dual-coalition political scenario and multi-partisan democracy. This besides de-politicising resources by giving a bigger role to civil society.

The writer is state chairperson, DAP Johor.