Perceived ‘celebration’ of ruling on Najib exposes cracks in unity government - Analysts

SHAH ALAM - The backlash against a social media post by DAP’s Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin following the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has exposed deeper, unresolved tensions within the unity government, particularly between Umno and its Pakatan Harapan (PH), political analysts say.

Research firm O2 Research chief researcher Anis Anwar Suhaimi said the issue was not about the court ruling itself and Yeo’s post was also not the main cause of the fallout.

Instead, he described it as "fuel poured onto an already warm set of tensions" within the ruling coalition.

"The problem begins when that stance is performed publicly in a way perceived as celebratory.

"From Umno’s lens, it signals insensitivity to a partner’s internal emotions and a lack of respect for an ally’s position within a shared government," he told Sinar Daily.

He was commenting on a Facebook post by Yeo, who wrote "another reason to celebrate the end of this year," referring to the High Court’s decision rejecting Najib's application for house arrest.

Her comment had drawn criticism from several Umno leaders.

Anis said Umno was always clear about PH’s stance on Najib and that both the party’s leaders and grassroots members had long accepted DAP’s and PH’s views on the former prime minister’s conviction.

He said under the separation of powers, Umno figures can only express disappointment, not contest the ruling politically.

However, Anis said cultural framing played a critical role in explaining the sharp reaction.

Among many Umno members and Malay supporters, Najib remained associated with tangible benefits and service from his time in office, he said.

"In that context, celebrating someone’s hardship is seen as contrary to Malay norms. On the other hand, many DAP supporters interpret Najib’s predicament as justice being served, shaped by their own reading of how his leadership harmed them.

"This collision of sentiments explains why Yeo was condemned and why DAP also bears political consequences from the episode," he said.

Anis added that Umno’s relationship with PH has always been dynamic and uneven, depending on which component party was involved.

While ties between Umno and DAP were often tense and flare up when issues touched Malay and Chinese sensitivities, Umno’s relationship with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) appears comparatively more accommodating.

"Umno's relationship with PH is inherently dynamic and it often depends on which PH component is involved. In the case of Umno and DAP, the relationship tends to be more tense and only occasionally appears to ease.

"That friction is usually triggered when issues touch Malay and Chinese interests and sensitivities. Even so, Umno and DAP clashes are more often rooted in community-related narratives rather than personal disputes involving party leaders," he said.

While Yeo is not a Cabinet member, Anis said her status as a DAP MP still made the post sensitive enough to warrant a firm response.

"Whether they were personally offended by Yeo’s caption is secondary. Politically, they needed to respond.

"The public rebuke functions as positioning, particularly in front of Umno’s grassroots, who expect their representatives in government to defend the party’s dignity and for some segments, to be seen as pushing for justice for Najib.

"In that sense, the backlash is less about personal emotion and more about internal party signaling," he said

Meanwhile, political analyst Syaza Shukri agreed that the incident has provided ammunition to factions within Umno that have long been uneasy with the unity arrangement.

"There are always those within Umno waiting for an opportunity to break the unity government. So yes, this is a good reason for those within the party to question the relationship with PH," she said.

Syaza described the comment as reflective of deeper structural problems within the coalition.

"This is not a strong ideological cooperation. There will always be tensions because these are tensions they cannot fully resolve within the unity government," she added.

She said public quarrels like this could weaken confidence in the coalition’s stability, both among its allies and its rivals.

"Incidents like this undermine public confidence in the unity government’s stability, especially among Umno’s grassroots and traditional supporters. It also gives supporters reason to question how stable this government really is," she said.