Bersatu no longer relevant to Malay voters, says analyst

Political analyst Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya contends that Bersatu is no longer a relevant political party to Malay voters. The analyst points to Bersatu's complete wipeout in all seven contested seats during the recent Melaka state election as evidence of the party's significant decline in support. Tawfik attributes this defeat to the party's loss of influence among the Malay electorate, as seen in previous elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

He urges Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to implement sweeping changes within the party and strengthen its organizational structure if it hopes to regain relevance in Malaysia's political landscape. Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Mazlan Ali suggests that Bersatu is still grappling with internal divisions, which led to former leaders like ex-deputy president Hamzah Zainudin forming their own party, Wawasan.

Mazlan believes that Bersatu needs additional time to reorganize and coordinate itself before it can once again become a formidable force in Malaysian politics. In the 2021 state election, Bersatu had assisted Perikatan Nasional in securing two seats, Bemban and Sungai Udang, though subsequent assemblymen aligned with Hamzah Zainudin.

Since then, Bersatu has been marginalized within the Perikatan Nasional coalition following a falling out with PAS, the coalition's chair. Despite forming an electoral understanding with Pakatan Harapan for the Melaka polls, no substantial vote transfer occurred between PH and Bersatu, as the coalition never formalized this arrangement in Melaka.