The Barisan Nasional government expects to lose some Chinese Malaysian support, but the return of Malay Malaysians to the Umno fold will make up for it, an Umno leader projected.

Party vice-president Muhammad Muhd Taib said the scenario for the next general elections expected next year although it is not due until end of 2004 will be different from that of 1999 where BN had to rely on Chinese Malaysian voters to regain victory when many of its traditional Malay Malaysian supporters defected to the opposition.

Muhammad said the BN leadership was aware of recent controversial issues affecting the ethnic Chinese, such as the switch to teaching Maths and Science in English, which allegedly affected mother-tongue education, and the suspension of two MCA state assembly representatives for breaching BN discipline.

"Although the government is aware that the decision on the language switch would not go down well with the Chinese community, the damage is not to the extent that it could become a 'political suicide' to the ruling party," said Muhammad in an interview with malaysiakini at his house yesterday.

General elections

The former menteri besar of Selangor said the government had no choice but to make the decision regarding the use of English as it had to prepare Malaysians for rapid development in science and technology in view of the impending globalisation.

He said the government was cognizant of the importance of mother-tongue education to the Chinese community. However, the urgent need to upgrade English skills among Malaysians could not be brushed off, and a decision had to be made immediately.

"Nevertheless, all decisions made by the government have always bore in mind the general elections," said Muhammad, who is one of Umno's three vice-presidents in running for deputy leadership at the next party polls, expected to be held after the next general elections.

In the 1999 general elections, BN's largest component party Umno lost Terengganu and Kelantan to PAS. Kelantan was already in PAS' hands since 1995, so Umno's defeat there was less disturbing than the rout in Terengganu, which was interpreted as a protest from Malay voters against the sacking of deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

In addition, Umno lost a whopping 27 parliamentary seats to the opposition.

Anwar not an issue

However, the Umno leader claimed that Anwar is no longer in the uppermost mind of Malay Malaysians and that opposition parties are running out of steam.

Muhammad, who was also the Umno by-elections coordinator post-1999, pointed out the trend in recent by-elections, which indicated that Malay Malaysians are backing Umno again.

He said the fact that the opposition won more seats in 1999 was not because of its strength, but because of Umno's weakness then.

"Today, the situation is the other way round. Umno has regained its strength while the opposition is getting weaker (following DAP's exit)," he said.

However, he conceded that Umno has yet to fully regain its strength of pre-1995, when the party commanded the undivided support of the majority of Malay Malaysians.

Still, he is convinced that BN is in its best shape now and ready to face the general elections any time.

Good to express views

Asked to comment on the attack on fellow front member MCA, especially by Umno Youth, Muhammad said it was good for all quarters to express their views openly as unresolved issues could otherwise become a racial 'time bomb'.

Besides, he said, such open discussions will enlighten the young members in the party on politics in a multi-ethnic society and could be regarded as a "re-education process" for all.

However, Muhammad hoped that all quarters in BN would be more sensitive to each other and remain united to ensure another landslide victory for the ruling party in the coming general election.

Umno Youth recently criticised MCA for not taking serious action against its two state assembly representatives for abstaining from voting on a motion raised by an opposition party.

The wing's deputy chief Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir claimed that MCA has always taken a different stand from the BN's on any issue, such as the language switch over which the Chinese-based party had allegedly allowed some 'extremists' to shatter racial unity.