opinion The Alternative Front or Barisan Alternatif (BA) consists of four opposition parties which admittedly have different ideological beliefs or inclinations, and support bases. According to its political adversaries, they should not come together as a 'marriage of convenience' or an 'unholy alliance', and it is bound to fail.

However, there are also alternative and positive views and opinions on the formation and desirability of this opposition front. It is seen and supported as a historic project to integrate the marginalised forces and energies from different ethnic and religious backgrounds for peaceful democratisation within the frameworks of liberal and parliamentary democracy, and constitutional monarchy .

According to these positive views and opinions, while the BA posed a formidable challenge to the Barisan Nasional (BN) by uniting under one electoral manifesto and participating in the 1999 general elections on a 'one-to-one contest', it has also indirectly enhanced and strengthened the system's liberal and parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.

The system and the ruling party are two entirely different concepts and political entities. Changing a ruling party is not the same as changing the political system.

Two centres of power

From this perspective, it could even be rationally argued that the formation and consolidation of the BA serves to strengthen genuine national security in the midst of political transformation throughout the region.

This is because it has provided peaceful channels and effective platforms for the expression of dissenting views which exist in all societies on earth. Genuine national security should be defined as the security of the nation and its people as a whole, not the jobs or 'welfare security' of ruling politicians or some redundant police officers in the post-Cold War period.

If BA is to be evaluated rationally according to these objectives and criteria, then it could be argued that its achievement has been quite remarkable. It has empowered Malaysians of different ethnic and religious backgrounds to participate more fully, actively and responsibly in the democratic process and transformation.

As the modern politics of Europe, Asia and other continents have shown, democratisation and active participation of citizens in public affairs and the formulation of public policies are best achieved in a condition or system comprising at least two competing centers of power.

However, although BA can be rated quite positively in the initial stage of its formation, its consolidation and further development should call for public input of more ideas and expertise. There are also several areas where the top leaders of the component parties themselves should look into.

Alternative Budget

First, while it is unreasonable and unrealistic to call for total changes in the ideologies and belief-systems of PAS, DAP, Keadilan and PRM, it is practical and viable for the parties to formulate alternative and common policies for specific areas.

These will include health, housing, internal security, rural development and urban planning. With different ideological inputs, these policies would then be pronounced in a functional and technical language acceptable to all the country's different cultures and religions.

Secondly, leaders of the BA component parties should learn to master functional and technical language, to be used in non-grassroots functions and activities;

Thirdly, it is also time for BA to seriously and positively consider setting-up mechanisms and institutions for supporters and sympathisers to meet, exchange ideas, formulate policy advices and have political consultation on strategic options;

Fourthly, BA should widen its range of policy interests by strengthening the existing system of alternative ministries which should hold more frequent public consultation sessions

Fifthly, BA should revive the presentation of an alternative Budget every year, not only as a projection of intellectual and practical decision-making power but also as mental means to check against excessive idealism, moralism and romanticism in the formulation of alternative policies.

Sixth, while charismatic leaders with mass appeal or attractiveness are important to rally mass support, they should refrain from unilaterally making public statements on inter-party relations and other policy areas sensitive to BA's image of being capable of managing a governmental system, which includes foreign, defence and finance policies.

JAMES WONG WING ON, is a former Member of Parliament (1990-1995) and a former columnist for the Sin Chew Jit Poh Chinese daily. He read political science and economics at the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. While in Sin Chew, he and a team of journalists won the top awards of Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) for 1998 and 1999.