KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia should adopt a two-party system to avoid political instability and prevent a hung Parliament, says former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Dr Mahathir highlighted that the current political landscape is weak due to fragmentation among parties, which undermines the ability of any single party to form a stable government.
"When fragmentation occurs, we become weak. This is what has happened to Umno, which has split into five parties.
"Umno, which used to govern strongly for over 70 years, is now divided into five weaker factions.
"When this happens, our support is also fragmented. No party is strong enough to form a majority," he said during a speech at the launch of the book Idealis: Syed Hamid Albar on Wednesday.
Dr Mahathir also noted that the situation worsened after the 15th General Election, as no single party received a clear mandate from voters.
"What we have now is a government that was not chosen by the people. It is a government not favoured by the public," he said.
He added that countries like the United States and the United Kingdom serve as examples of nations with two dominant political parties.
The United States, for instance, has the Republican and Democratic parties. With two large parties, they can form a government when one wins the election.
"A two-party system is crucial for ensuring a stable government that reflects the people's will.
"If we want to solve this issue, we need to transition to a two-party system," he emphasised.