The decision by two Bersatu assemblymen to back Pahang menteri besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail could signal a shift in the party’s political strategy after its failure to displace Umno as the dominant force in Malay politics, an analyst says.
International Islamic University Malaysia analyst Syaza Shukri said Bersatu now had to confront the reality that its efforts had fallen short, particularly after the party lost every seat it contested in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections.
“The reality is that Bersatu simply cannot replace Umno. So if it cannot defeat Umno, perhaps the approach is to work with it,” she told FMT.
However, Syaza said moving closer to Umno also carried risks, including the possibility of Bersatu being reduced to the role of a “junior” partner while both parties continue competing for the same Malay political base.
Two Bersatu assemblymen back Wan Rosdy
Kuala Sentul assemblyman Jasri Jamaludin and Lepar assemblyman Yazid Yunus have declared their support for Wan Rosdy until the 16th state election.
They said the decision had been approved by Bersatu’s top leadership, led by Muhyiddin Yassin, citing the need to ensure political stability in Pahang.
Akademi Nusantara analyst Azmi Hassan said the backing was significant because it had been endorsed by Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu’s president.
He said the development should also be viewed in the context of Bersatu’s weak position within Pahang Perikatan Nasional, where the party has only two assemblymen compared with PAS’ 15.
PAS has severed political ties with Bersatu, although both parties remain in PN.
“Bersatu is being increasingly cornered within the coalition,” Azmi said.
Move could signal wider political cooperation
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia analyst Mazlan Ali said the move was unlikely to be solely about constituency allocations, noting that such grievances could have prompted a change in position earlier, as seen with several Bersatu MPs at the federal level.
“The move is more of a political message that Bersatu wants to show it still has room to cooperate outside PN.
“It could also be an early signal that Bersatu wants to open ties with the unity government, particularly Pakatan Harapan (PH),” he said.
Pahang’s 42-seat state assembly is currently governed by a unity administration comprising Barisan Nasional (BN) and PH.
BN holds 17 seats while PH has eight, giving the coalition a 25-seat majority.
Wan Rosdy, who is also the Pahang BN chairman, said earlier this month that BN wanted the unity government with PH to remain in place until the next general election.
