The confidence and supply agreement (CSA) signed between the Anwar Ibrahim administration and seven opposition MPs will help ensure the unity government is not overly dependent on Barisan Nasional (BN) or other coalition partners, political analysts say.
Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said the government had sufficient support in the Dewan Rakyat to remain in power until the end of its term, even if BN were to withdraw its support, as other partners such as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) were unlikely to leave.
“So there’s no immediate reason (to sign a similar pact with other parties). I think it’s more a long-term strategy to show that the Anwar government still has something up its sleeve and it would not be beholden to BN and the threats of some coalition members,” she said.
“It is (also) more about the legitimacy of the current government to stave off any possible opposition call for a snap election,” Syaza told FMT.
CSA gives government more political options
Anwar leads a unity government comprising Pakatan Harapan (PH), BN, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), GPS and several smaller parties.
The coalition commands 143 seats in the Dewan Rakyat and also has the support of Bersatu, six independent MPs and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
On Thursday, the government signed the agreement with six Bersatu MPs and Syed Saddiq in return for commitments to undertake two key reforms.
The MPs want Putrajaya to limit the prime minister’s tenure and separate the roles of the attorney-general and public prosecutor before the end of its term. They also want constituency development allocations equal to those received by government backbenchers.
Under the agreement, the seven opposition MPs pledged to support the Anwar administration until the end of the parliamentary term and help pass the 2027 Budget.
Syaza said Bersatu was seeking new partners to stabilise itself following its fallout with PAS and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Universiti Malaya political analyst Tawfik Yaakub similarly said the agreement did not indicate that all was not well within the federal government, but could instead be viewed as a strategy to broaden its options for securing parliamentary support.
“However, it sends out a message that the government has leeway to obtain support from other parties without being overly dependent on existing coalition partners,” he said.
He added that there was no basis for BN or GPS to withdraw their support for the government.
Analysts describe agreement as political insurance
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting described the agreement as a form of political insurance for the government.
“You don’t buy insurance because your house is burning. You buy it because you suspect someone might be holding the matches,” he said.
However, he said Anwar’s move to secure cooperation from Bersatu could further complicate relations between Umno and PH.
“Umno grassroots have never been entirely comfortable with PH, particularly DAP. Bringing Bersatu-linked figures closer to the government could further complicate that relationship, especially when Umno and Bersatu are competing for essentially the same vote bank,” he said.
