The three ‘wild cards’ in the coming general election
By Murray Hunter MOST pundits believe that PAS and UMNO will gain most of the seats in the peninsula in the coming general election, and negotiate to form a new coalition government with the Borneo-based parties. PAS could improve upon its position o...
Three ‘wild cards’ are expected to influence the upcoming general election in Malaysia. These parties, namely Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), and Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan), are yet to be fully assessed in how they may perform.
Bersama, led by Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, is seeking to contest between 10-20 parliamentary seats, mainly in urban and mixed constituencies. The party's goal is long-term structural change and aims to focus on issues such as the cost of living, institutional reform, and generational renewal. However, analysts remain uncertain about whether Bersama can truly break through the established blocs in Malaysia's first-past-the-post system.
PBM, led by Larry Sng, is a Sarawak-based party that aims to contest 35-40 seats. The party is non-racial and non-theocratic, aiming to influence government formation rather than be dismissed as a mere vote-splitter. However, analysts do not believe PBM will achieve its ambitious goals due to its limited grassroots machinery and the risk of being viewed as a vehicle for sore losers.
Finally, Wawasan is a rebranded Parti Cinta Malaysia, focusing on Malay nationalist "bridge" politics. The party is seen as a moderate face for PAS but analysts warn it remains personality-driven and organizationally thin. Wawasan's relevance will largely depend on the depth of PAS support and its ability to broker wider Malay cooperation.
Written by urgent.news from The Vibes's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
