Premier faces new tests after triumph

Professor James Chin, chief of the School of Arts and Sciences at Malaysia’s Monash University, said it would take “serious hard work”. 

“It’s very difficult to do anything now because people are still very angry,” he said. “The Chinese especially are much harder to please because they were looking for complete change of government.

“The Chinese community, especially in big towns like Penang and Malacca, are deeply alienated from the government,” he added.

“Opposition election rallies in Chinese areas have the character of revival meetings, with huge enthusiastic cheering crowds and an energy not experienced in decades.” 

Chin said Chinese displeasure was partly directed toward corruption, but added that “the larger part of it is that the Chinese feel this government cannot be reformed.” Chinese and Indian minorities are at a disadvantage with the government’s affirmative action programme for Malays and indigenous people, who comprise 65 per cent of the population. 

The privileges in education, employment and business cause resentment among Chinese and Indians who feel like they are being treated as second-class citizens in their own country.

Najib conceded that he did not anticipate such a strong political backlash from the ethnic Chinese community in Sunday’s elections.

“I expected it but I did not expect it to this extent,” he said shortly after he learning of the poll results.

Several prominent coalition members were unseated, including the chief ministers of the states of Malacca and Johor, as well as the federal territories and transport ministers.