Yet Mr. Najib remains more popular than his party for having at least tried to emphasize national unity over ethnic divides with his "One Malaysia" rhetoric.

WSJ: Philip Bowring: The Realignment of Malaysian Politics

In order to do this more systematically than ever before, in 2009 Najib introduced the 1Malaysia concept, calling on his government to put even greater emphasis on ethnic harmony, national unity and efficient governance.

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As a result, Macedonia's political parties, including the ethnic Albanians, recently formed a unity government to seek a political solution.

CNN: Macedonia attacks rebel bases

The men, all supporters of Mr Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement, denied involvement in attacks on members of Mr Kibaki's Party for National Unity and his Kikuyu ethnic group in the Rift Valley.

BBC: Kenya election violence: Uhuru Kenyatta at The Hague

It is a defining moment on whether a kinship-based society, dominated by tribal, religious and ethnic loyalty has reached a level of critical mass sufficient for national unity.

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