COMMENT | It was University of California Berkeley political scientist Arend Lijphart who first described Malaysia's political system as a "consociational democracy," meaning that each of the respective races in Malaysia would be represented by a key political party of their choice.

Right until May 9, 2018, which will go down in history as a monumental day, Malays had primarily believed that Umno was the main vehicle of representation to channel and articulate their interest, and that MCA and MIC would do the same for the Chinese and Indians in the country respectively.

But as much as May 9 was a huge electoral victory for Pakatan Harapan, with the seismic effects continuing to be felt from Kangar to Kota Kinabalu, there has to be due regard for the previous political system, even as Pakatan Harapan tries to strike out on an independent future to free the minds and habits of Malaysians.

In the event of any conflict or issue, arising from cabinet appointments, for instance, it helps if all sides can resort to using internal party mechanisms to forge a consensus. Speaking openly and directly to the media at the first instance – while emotionally cathartic – is politically damaging to a new government.

There are five reasons why Malaysian politicians, regardless of which party in Harapan, have to be wise and savvy, not just ‘fact-smart’. The latter involves a direct engagement with the media that can prove counterproductive to what Harapan hopes to achieve, especially in the first 100 days leading up to the next five years...