ersatu should accept that its future within Perikatan Nasional (PN) has become increasingly uncertain and stop dwelling on past achievements, according to a political analyst.
International Islamic University Malaysia analyst Syaza Shukri said the party should instead focus on forging new political alliances and developing fresh strategies if it is serious about moving forward.
However, she said she understood why Bersatu continued to speak about PN, particularly its president Muhyiddin Yassin, who views himself as the coalition’s founder.
Political landscape has changed
Syaza’s comments came after Muhyiddin said on Friday that PAS achieved its strong performance in the 2022 general election because it was working together with Bersatu.
PAS won 43 parliamentary seats in the election, while the opposition coalition also secured the largest share of the Malay vote.
Syaza said Muhyiddin’s view had some basis, but stressed that the political landscape had changed since then.
She said Bersatu must now strengthen its own support base if it hopes to attract a significant share of Malay voters in future elections.
Bersatu must prove its strength
Separately, National Council of Professors fellow Azmi Hassan said Muhyiddin now needed to demonstrate that Bersatu could remain competitive on its own.
He said the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election would be an important test, particularly as Bersatu would be contesting under its own party logo.
According to Azmi, only after proving its political strength could Bersatu begin looking for a new political partner, citing Pakatan Harapan as an example because it needs Malay voter support.
He said this would be Bersatu’s key challenge after the party had been sidelined within PN by PAS.
