Bersatu boleh hilang ruang Melayu jika gagal cari rakan, kata penganalisis

Analysts have warned that Bersatu risks losing ground among Malay voters if it fails to find new allies before the 16th General Election (PRU16), especially as Umno and PAS appear to be opening up to potential partnerships in certain states, according to Syaza Shukri, a lecturer at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM). The Malaysian Institute of Political Science reported that Bersatu is indeed facing challenges in competing with the formidable forces of Umno and PAS in securing Malay voter support on its own.

Syaza believes that cooperation with other parties can help reduce competition and assist Bersatu, particularly in mixed regions. She stated that while Bersatu is already small and increasingly subordinate to Muhyiddin Yassin, it does not appear likely that the party will disintegrate. Syaza emphasized that deciding on new coalition partners should be based on the struggle principle.

She noted that Bersatu's decision will be made to ensure the party's survival, but assured members that any cooperation must align with the struggle principle. Syaza also mentioned that the key issue is how far new cooperation can withstand if Bersatu and Muhyiddin still have big political ambitions. Meanwhile, Mazlan Ali, from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, argued that Umno-PAS collaboration could pose a challenge to the Malay parties due to the potential unification of support among these voters.

He pointed out that the outcomes of the PRN Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections show the impact of competition among parties on Bersatu when a portion of Malay voters switch allegiance to other parties, making it difficult for the party to secure sufficient support. According to Mazlan, Bersatu has the potential to gain an advantage if it successfully forms alliances with other parties, depending on the strength of the chosen coalition partners and the distribution of seats.

He suggested that indirectly, Bersatu could benefit from such cooperation, provided they can establish the right partnerships and seat distribution based on Bersatu's standing.