Barisan Nasional should concentrate on winnable seats instead of aiming to field candidates in a large number of constituencies for the 16th general election, an analyst has said.
Strategic choices in a changing landscape
Afifi Abdul Razak from Universiti Utara Malaysia highlighted the current political environment as challenging and constantly shifting.
He told FMT that BN needs a smart approach, which could involve maintaining its current alliance with Pakatan Harapan or exploring a new partnership with Perikatan Nasional.
Benefits of alliances
Afifi explained that BN requires partners to secure more victories. Continuing with Pakatan Harapan offers access to government resources, while teaming up with Perikatan Nasional could significantly strengthen support in Malay-majority areas.
“Winning seats matters more than just contesting,” he said.
He added that BN should select constituencies where it stands a stronger chance of success, rather than entering battles it is unlikely to win.
BN should also avoid spending time and resources in areas that are strongholds of Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional.
Some observers have even suggested that the coalition could aim to play the role of kingmaker in GE16, rather than seeking to dominate as the main party.
Realistic seat projections
With effective strategy and well-run operations, Afifi estimated that BN could realistically win between 40 and 55 parliamentary seats in the next election. The Umno-led coalition currently holds 30 seats.
Earlier this week, Malaysiakini reported a source saying BN plans to contest at least 115 parliamentary seats in GE16, with the aim of leading the federal government.
The source, who attended a recent BN meeting, said this would help eliminate the view that BN is merely a secondary partner to Pakatan Harapan in the unity government.
The goal would be achieved by securing more seats than the coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim.
Focus on Malay-majority areas
Separately, Azmi Hassan from Akademi Nusantara said the 115-seat target would probably cover constituencies where Malay voters form more than 50 percent of the electorate.
Although Umno won only 26 seats in the 2022 general election, Azmi noted that the target makes sense because the party has shown increased strength and stability since then.
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