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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 October 2015
The results of the 1990 general election once again demonstrated the strengh of the Barisan in the electoral arena. In fact, since independence, there have never been any doubts regarding a victory for the ruling coalition. The relative political stability and economic well-being had always favoured the incumbents. The effective utilization of the state bureaucracy and state facilities, including the control of mass media and access to financial resources, enabled the Barisan to put its message to the electorate more effectively than the opposition. Given these advantages, it was difficult for the opposition parties to make inroads into the government's mass support base. UMNO Baru, as the backbone of the coalition, once again proved that it could garner enough support from the Malay voters, whose decision would ultimately determine the outcome of the elections since there are 92 out of the 132 constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia which have Malay majorities.
However, the Barisan's return to power is not unqualified. In fact, there are ominous signs on the horizon. In the course of the elections campaign, the UMNO Baru leaders, including the Prime Minister, continuosly warned the Malays that their future was at stake given the concerted efforts mounted by the “Chinese” DAP and the “Christian” PBS, which were working through Semangat '46. By exploiting the fears of the Malays about the future of their race and religion, they also aggravated the fears of the other ethnic communities regarding their future place in Malaysian society. The results clearly indicated further ethnic polarization. The Chinese partners in the ruling coalition were badly defeated by the DAP in the Chinese-dominated urban areas. Therefore, the national government can be said to be generally supported by the Malays, while the Chinese supported the opposition. Already, there are suggestions to the effect that since the Chinese did not give their support to the ruling coalition, government policies need not take their views into consideration.
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