Barisan Nasional’s bid to rebrand itself as progressive and inclusive will carry little weight unless Umno eases its dominance within the coalition and moves beyond ethnocentric politics, say analysts.
Need to dilute Umno dominance
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said BN must, if it is serious about rebranding, first move away from the long-standing norm of Umno dominance.
“In order to be more progressive and inclusive, BN needs to give greater say to its other component parties, and not act as a sort of ‘Umno plus others’ coalition,” he told FMT.
Fauzi said meaningful reform can only be achieved if Umno abandoned its outdated brand of politics.
“Umno has to change and embrace a more inclusive version of Malay nationalism rather than the outdated form of Malay exclusivism, which has outlived its purpose after serving Umno so well in its formative years.”
He said many younger voters, including Malay-Muslims, have become increasingly open to multiculturalism.
An Umno-dominated BN would deter them from backing the coalition.
Challenges in projecting inclusivity
Oh Ei Sun of the Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia agreed.
He questioned whether BN could credibly project a more progressive image with Umno in exclusive control.
“I think it will be difficult for BN to rebrand with Umno still predominating over the rest of the coalition, with its primarily racialist appeal,” he said.
Oh suggested BN strengthen its inclusivity credentials by emulating its Sabah-based component party, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.
“Though predominantly non-Muslim Bumiputera, PBRS has always painstakingly presented itself as being multiethnic,” he said.
Balancing act amid coalition tensions
On Sunday, BN announced plans to rebrand itself as more progressive and inclusive.
The move is part of a broader effort to prepare for upcoming elections.
It follows a leadership retreat aimed at bolstering unity among component parties.
The initiative comes at a precarious moment.
Two of BN’s co-founders—MCA and MIC—have recently signalled they may exit the coalition.
Fauzi said the rebranding was aimed at repositioning BN for the long term, beyond the next general election.
This is especially relevant if BN intends to continue working with Pakatan Harapan.
He said this would require BN to abandon its traditional model of contesting nearly all parliamentary seats.
However, BN faces a tough balancing act in its rebrand.
“BN must prove to its potential voters that it offers more in terms of Malaysian multiculturalism than the more exclusivist PN, but at the same time is not as liberal as many Malay-Muslims imagine PH to be.”
Oh acknowledged that BN is likely attempting to maximise its electoral appeal under all possible political scenarios.
However, he said Umno could not expect to win over too many PAS members.
It could only hope to retain, if not expand, its more moderate base.
“Umno cannot realistically hope to draw support away from PAS’s ever growing-conservative voter base. It can only hope to hold on to what remains of its materially-attracted and PN-fearing bases,” he said.
