Ketidakpercayaan jadi cabaran kerjasama PH-Bersatu di Melaka

Analysts say the betrayal by Bersatu leader Muhyiddin Yassin towards Pakatan Harapan (PH), now managed by Anwar Ibrahim, is a significant obstacle for cooperation between the two parties. Tawfik Yaakub, a Universiti Malaya lecturer, believes pragmatic attitudes are the foundation of politics, making such cooperation difficult to dismiss outright.

One major challenge is gaining strong PH support to vote for a Bersatu candidate in Melaka after what happened in 2020. He believes some strong PH supporters still harbor deep mistrust towards Bersatu and may find it hard to accept instructions to vote for their party. Following the Sheraton Step incident in February 2020, where several MP defections from PH led to the government's downfall, Tawfik acknowledges that building political trust that is long-established is the biggest challenge.

However, he acknowledges pragmatism is ultimately what drives politics, and PH supporters might accept tactical cooperation from Bersatu if PH can explain the shared goals or mutual enemies between the two parties. However, he warns that a convincing narrative is crucial, as failure to provide one could lead to confusion and rejection among PH grassroots.

The real question is not whether PH and Bersatu can cooperate, but whether supporters of both parties will be willing to vote for candidates from the other party. In the last PRN in Melaka in November 2021, Barisan Nasional (BN) won 21 out of 28 DUN seats while PH took five, with the remaining two won by PN. BN's performance in the PRN in Johor and Negeri Sembilan is likely to be considered, as Bersatu needs to ensure its survival.

A subsequent PRN in Melaka is expected to be held later in February next year. Tawfik suggests that such cooperation could reduce the fragmentation of votes, potentially benefiting BN or PN. However, he reminds Bersatu that such tactical support does not guarantee victory, as PH needs to assess if additional votes from Bersatu can outweigh the potential loss of non-supportive PH voters.