Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong is seeking to enlist Malaysians in the battle being waged against Pakatan Harapan on two fronts following the realignment of opposition forces.

He was referring to the new alliance between Umno and PAS and the possible dismantling of the BN coalition, with MCA and MIC moving in a different direction.

“Whether the break-up of BN is real or just a drama, Umno and PAS are already attacking Harapan from the Malay flank, while MCA and MIC are attacking Harapan from the non-Malay flank,” he added in a media statement this afternoon.

Reiterating his “scorched earth policy” warning, Liew said the ethnic-based flank raids were demonstrative of this attempt to win at all cost regardless of the destruction inflicted.

“As always with such cruel deeds, it is the ordinary people who will suffer the most,” he added.

According to Liew, these forces seek to render Malaysia ungovernable for Harapan since the government would have to deal with the ethnic fires fanned by both sides.

“The demands from both sides will be contradictory, hostile and explosive. The objective is to make both Malays and non-Malays feel aggravated and deprived. Everything will be framed in racial binary terms.

“The aim is also to break Harapan's multi-ethnic coalition from within, as the centre may not hold due to contradictory demands from the flanks,” he added.

Liew said the Umno-PAS alliance would allow its leaders to paint everything related to non-Malay-Muslims in a negative hue as there is no reason for them to pretend to be centrist since MCA and MIC are no longer official allies.

Similarly, he added, MCA and MIC would have carte blanche once they are free of Umno's shackles.

“In this setting, there is no way Harapan can 'out-Malay' Umno, 'out-Islam' PAS, 'out-Chinese' MCA and 'out-Indian' MIC,” he added.

However, Liew said all is not lost since Malaysia has great potential as a nation united for better things to come.

“For the 'New Malaysia' experiment to succeed, Harapan must emerge as a people's movement. The people should not assume that since they have voted on May 9, 2018, it is time to sit back and watch. The struggle is not over yet.

“For Malaysians who believe that Malaysia does not need to be torn apart racially, those who believe that GE14 was a turning point to build lasting prosperity and peace for all, and those who want Malaysia to stand tall in the eyes of the world, we must stand together and form a movement to counter the divisive and racial 'movement strategy' of Umno-PAS and MCA-MIC.

“Besides many in Peninsula Malaysia, I know that our brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak, both Muslims and non-Muslims, are looking forward towards a 'New Malaysia' that is inclusive, caring and sharing; a nation that rejects religious extremism and promotes solidarity,” he added.