COMMENT | Every year around this time, we raise the Jalur Gemilang and repeat the same words about unity, and every year those words feel a little more worn.

So it is worth examining the formula that gave birth to the moment we are celebrating.

It was July 1955, and Malaya had just held its first federal election. Roughly 84 percent of registered voters were Malay, largely a consequence of citizenship rules that had kept most Chinese and Indian residents off the electoral roll.

The Alliance contested all 52 seats and won 51, with Umno winning 34 of them, MCA securing 15 and MIC with two. MCA won every seat it contested.

Think about that for a moment. In an...