Bersama should refrain from entering Melaka polls

Former PKR youth religious leader Wan Ji has expressed concern that there is no clear successor to lead Pakatan Harapan and the reformasi movement following Anwar Ibrahim's potential departure from his role due to the party's poor showing in the 2016 General Election (GE16). Wan Ji believes that Rafizi Ramli, who served as the analytical framework and political messaging provider for PKR and PH, is the best candidate for this role.

However, it will take two more general elections for him to be fully accepted as the leader of the reformasi movement. To expedite this process, Bersama leader Bersama should refrain from entering the Melaka polls. This is because Bersama's performance in their inaugural electoral attempt in Johor was poor and they wisely decided to skip the Negri Sembilan polls to regroup.

If Bersama aims to garner 12% of the vote in Melaka, it would only be a negligible increase compared to the six percent they received in Johor. This potential increase would likely come at the expense of votes from DAP, PKR, and Amanah, which form the PH tripartite combine. A more prudent strategy for Bersama in the lead-up to GE16, which must be held by February 2028, would be to concentrate on the 10 seats that PKR won in GE15.

These seats are easily identifiable and currently held by Rafizi's supporters within PKR. By avoiding electoral participation in the current phase, Bersama can maintain good relations with PKR, DAP, and Amanah while waiting for the dissolution of Parliament before declaring their support for Bersama.