Trump's comeback and lessons for Malaysia's divisive politics

Donald Trump's historic comeback to the White House offers lessons for political blocs in Malaysia, where a similar demarcation of "liberals" and "conservatives" has characterised the narrative over the past decade, not unlike the divisions that emerged during the recent US presidential campaign.

Trump, who is often labelled a right-wing extremist and even a white supremacist, won a second term after defeating Kamala Harris, becoming the only US president to serve two  non-consecutive terms - the other being Grover Cleveland, who was president for the terms 1885-1889 and 1893-1897.

His re-election came amid a raucous campaign based on identity politics, with both Democrats and Republicans championing divisive issues such as abortion and immigration.

While Trump has traditionally received support from the so-called "Bible Belt" states, Harris' campaign was backed by influential figures and Hollywood stars who warned Americans that they would lose their individual and democratic freedoms if the billionaire former president were to set foot again in the White House.

A similar narrative has characterised the Malaysian political landscape, where some media outlets owned by individuals representing a certain demagoguery have portrayed the predominantly Malay bloc Perikatan Nasional (PN) as a conservative "right-wing" coalition.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan has benefited from being portrayed as multiracial, progressive and inclusive.

But will this portrayal prove outdated in the next general election?

One analyst warns those in the "progressive" camp not to take their support for granted.

"Trump won because there are just too many changes and uncertainties in the world, while he conveys a sense of continuity with tradition," said Syaza Shukri, an associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University.

"The lesson is that liberals need to understand that their supporters are loud because they are usually educated.

"But the silent majority, who may not want to participate in political discourse, prefer things to be familiar, which means conservative values in terms of family, security and a strong economy," she told MalaysiaNow.

Syaza said the just-concluded US presidential election was a lesson for both PH and PN.

PH, she said, must not overreach with talks of reforms and changes, while PN must convince its supporters to be more committed, especially when it comes to converting their support into votes.

"Their supporters are there, it’s just a matter of making them feel it is worth it and (to convince them) that PN will provide stability to Malaysia," she added.

Like the US, Malaysia too has an urban-rural divide in voting pattern.

While Republicans are favoured by conservative Americans in rural areas including the "Bible Belt", Democrats are strong in more than a dozen states.

In Malaysia, PN dominates in the Malay heartlands in the north and east coast, while PH's vote bank comes from the urban areas of the west coast states.

James Chin believes that the situation in the US has already been replicated in Malaysia as the majority of young Malay voters were firmly behind PN in the last general election as well as during the six-state elections last year.

"The Malaysian ground has actually moved to the right. Anwar is also moving to the right because he wants to capture some of the Malay ground," said Chin of University of Tasmania.

He said Trump's victory showed the power of social media in terms of appealing to voters, not to mention the influence of billionaire Elon Musk and right-wing spokesmen like Joe Reagan and Tucker Carlson, who are moving the needle to the right.

"Traditional media is dead when it comes to helping political parties win," he said, adding that Trump's voters did not want to reveal their choices to other people or pollsters.

"In Malaysia, the same thing happened. Most people who voted for PN, especially in the urban area, did not come out openly. They just did it quietly in the ballot box," he said, adding that nothing could stop the worldwide trend of moving to the right.

Syaza said that while some media outlets were more left-leaning, the right had created its own media ecosystem and people were getting their information there.

"So in a way, the more they’re called extremists, the more the right-leaning would abandon mainstream media and find their community elsewhere," she said.