Two major opposition parties in Malaysia forged a political alliance Saturday to consolidate support from the country's majority ethnic Malay Muslims, a move that could threaten Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the next general election.
Mahathir's alliance scored a surprise win in May 2018 general elections, unseating the National Front coalition that had led since the country's independence from Britain in 1957. But many Malay Muslims, who account for 60 percent of the country's 32 million people, still support the parties what is now the opposition.
The linchpin of the National Front, the United Malays National Organization, and its former enemy, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said inked a pact Saturday that they say will unite Malay Muslims. The two parties secured 75% of Malay votes in the last election but that didn't translate into a majority of seats in part because they fielded competing candidates for many seats and spit the Malay vote.
A man sits in front of banners of UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) and PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) during an event of officially join alliance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. Two major opposition parties in Malaysia have forged a political alliance to consolidate support from the country's majority ethnic Malay Muslims, a move that could threaten Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the next general elections. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)
The two parties have now agreed not to contest against each other, paving the way for straight fights with Mahathir's Hope Alliance in the next election, which is due by 2023.
"Now that they are formally allied and switched to a more effective election strategy of pooling together electioneering resources and putting forward the most winnable candidates from either party, they pose a substantially clear and present electoral threat" to the Hope Alliance, said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
The defeat of the UMNO-led National Front was attributed to anger over a massive corruption scandal involving former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Najib is currently on trial after being charged with multiple counts of corruption linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund.
A member from UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) waves PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) parties flag during an event of officially join alliance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. Two major opposition parties in Malaysia have forged a political alliance to consolidate support from the country's majority ethnic Malay Muslims, a move that could threaten Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the next general elections. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)
UMNO's President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a former deputy premier who took over the party after Najib stepped down, has also been charged in a separate graft case.
Zahid said in a speech Saturday that the new union will uphold Islam but that it will not cause racial enmity as he promised to respect the rights of other races. Malaysia has large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
"We are confident that this national cooperation pact, it will inspire us further in our joint cause," he told thousands of supporters.
Members from UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) in red, and members from PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) wave their parties flag during an event of officially join alliance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. Two major opposition parties in Malaysia have forged a political alliance to consolidate support from the country's majority ethnic Malay Muslims, a move that could threaten Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the next general elections. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)
PAS currently controls the legislatures two of Malaysia's 13 states, while UMNO controls none.
Bridget Welsh, an Asian expert at the John Cabot university in Rome, said the "alliance of convenience has a good chance of winning power based on previous voting patterns."
Many Malays fear their privileges under decades-old affirmation action policies could be threatened under Mahathir's government, while non-Malays feel the government is not being inclusive enough, she said. She said PAS and UMNO are trying to capitalize politics of division.
DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.
The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.
“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”
Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.
The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.
Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.
“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”
It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”
Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.
First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”
Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.
“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”
For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.
“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, center, shakes hands John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, before the start of a news conference where Fisher announced his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4 2024.The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, announces that his team will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park, during a news conference in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The A's announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Sutter Health Park, home of the Triple A team Sacramento River Cats, is shown in West Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Oakland Athletics announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an option for 2028 on Thursday after being unable to reach an agreement to extend their lease in Oakland during that time. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the eighth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
