As the 14th general election approaches, one factor that is hampering support for Pakatan Harapan is the reoccurring infighting among their ranks.

However, academic Terence Gomez said this is actually a good thing, as it means democracy is alive and well in the coalition.

"Democracy is extremely messy. It entails a lot of fighting and finding compromise and common ground and it is not easy.

"So should we be mad the opposition is fighting? No. That is part and parcel of coalition politics," Gomez said at a forum in Petaling Jaya last night.

He said a coalition is supposed to be a place for dialogue, where the interests of different groups are brought together and represented.

In contrast, he said BN was dominated by a single party, Umno, with most of the other parties subservient to the Malay party.

"Does dialogue happen in BN? No. That is why you see all the problems that exist now," he added.

Unlike BN, Gomez said all parties in Harapan are equal, and that no single figure, not even coalition chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad, controls everyone.

"Yes Mahathir may be the de facto leader, but I don't think anyone is subservient to Mahathir.

"You can't tell me that Anwar Ibrahim, or (DAP's) Lim Kit Siang is subservient to Mahathir," he said.

Gomez was speaking at a forum entitled "Can the middle-class save Malaysia?"

While acknowledging that there is disenchantment towards the opposition among the middle-class and the youth, Gomez said this is because Harapan has yet to lay out a clear institutional framework on how it would be better than BN.

This includes not having a shadow cabinet to show the people that they have specific people capable of dealing with the issues and responsibilities that come with each portfolio.

He said Harapan must also outline its policies on how to solve problems such as quality of education, lack of employment opportunities for graduates, and stagnant wages.

"This will help inspire confidence," he said.

Meanwhile, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, who also spoke at the forum, said middle-class Malaysians should be more interested in the "boring" aspects of politics, such as policy matters.

This he said, was the nuts and bolts of politics and government, and is what makes the country run.

However, Sim admitted that in Malaysia, where the political landscape was dominated by a hegemony, the opposition has to resort to some dramatic politics.

"If we don't do this, our voices are not heard," the DAP lawmaker said.