Kuala Lampur, Aug. 19 -- There is no political organisation in Malaysia officially known as MATGA. Nor has Perikatan Nasional (PN) formally adopted such an acronym.

Yet the direction of an increasingly strident discourse on Malay-Muslim unity raises an uncomfortable question: has Malaysian politics begun drifting towards what can analytically be described as MATGA - Malays All Together Against All?

The distinction is important. There is nothing inherently objectionable about Malay political cooperation.

Malays constitute the largest ethnic community in Malaysia. Islam occupies a constitutionally recognised position in the federation.

Malay political parties have every democratic right to cooperate, negotiate seats and construct electo...