BN must secure Malay support before going solo, says think tank head

Barisan Nasional (BN) needs to ensure Malay support before considering going solo or forming a partnership, according to Hisommudin Bakar, executive director of the Ilham Centre think tank. In an interview at a BN forum discussing the post-Johor and Negeri Sembilan political landscape, Mr. Bakar emphasized the importance of regaining Malay backing, particularly in constituencies previously lost to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.

Mr. Bakar highlighted that BN must focus on engaging young Malays, a demographic where PN has thrived. If BN cannot ascertain whether the Malay vote has shifted back to their favor, he stated, they have no choice but to yield to PN in seat negotiations, given PN's recent seat victories in the last elections. This assertion was made during the forum's discussion on the BN-PN alliance's dynamics.

The Negeri Sembilan election, a significant event where BN and PN collaborated, resulted in the coalition securing 18 parliamentary seats and 7 state assembly seats, a combination sufficient to form a two-thirds majority government. This marked the first time the BN-PN alliance achieved such a dominant outcome, with both parties urging their supporters and members to vote for each other's candidates.

Furthermore, Mr. Bakar pointed out that Pakatan Harapan (PH), BN's ally in the federal unity government, poses a liability as Malay-Muslim sentiment intensifies. While PH and BN have formed a united government, his concerns stem from the perceived weaknesses in voter transferability between the two factions.