Pakatan Harapan+Bersatu+Muda+Bersama+PSM- the way forward?

(R.Mutharasan)

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) finds itself at a critical political juncture, facing pressure to rethink its political strategies in response to the aggressive momentum of Barisan Nasional (BN).

BN, spearheaded by UMNO, has consistently displayed strategic manoeuvring across the country’s political landscape, outpacing rival coalitions through tactical realignments and state-level victories.

BN’s tactical dominance has been demonstrated through a series of decisive moves:

• Johor: BN engineered the dissolution of the Johor State Assembly, triggering state elections that successfully returned the coalition to power.

• Negeri Sembilan: Moving quickly, BN formed an electoral pact with Perikatan Nasional (PN) to secure governance and consolidate political control in the state.

• Melaka: Observers note that BN appears poised to secure a strong position in Melaka as well, capitalising on its momentum across southern Peninsular Malaysia.

Internal Challenges Within Pakatan Harapan

Political analysts point out that Pakatan Harapan’s core constituent parties, DAP, PKR, and Amanah are facing growing internal and external obstacles:

1. PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat)

PKR continues to struggle to consolidate Malay support and maintain its broader appeal. Internal friction following past leadership contests between Rafizi Ramli and Nurul Izzah Anwar has created lingering divisions within the party. Furthermore, since assuming the Deputy Presidency, Nurul Izzah’s reduced visibility during key state polls in Johor and Negeri Sembilan has raised questions among observers regarding her political presence.

2. DAP (Democratic Action Party)

DAP is facing noticeable dissatisfaction within the Indian community. Despite championing multi-racial platform policies, criticism has arisen over leadership representation,  specifically regarding the promotion of non-Tamil-speaking Indian politicians or those from specific family lineages over Tamil-speaking leaders who resonate more directly with the majority of Indian voters (of whom over 80% are Tamil-speaking).

In Penang, where Professor P. Ramasamy served as Deputy Chief Minister II for three terms, his replacement by Jagdeep Singh has failed to garner similar grassroots enthusiasm among Tamil voters, highlighting a growing disconnect between the party and Indian voters disappointed with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the administration.

3. Amanah (Parti Amanah Negara)

Amanah has struggled to establish itself as a dominant alternative to PAS among Malay-Muslim voters. In the Negeri Sembilan state elections, Amanah failed to secure a single seat. Meanwhile, newly formed parties like Parti Wawasan Malaysia, operating within Perikatan Nasional alongside PAS, have won seats, further exposing Amanah’s inability to capture critical Malay votes despite its long-standing presence in PH.

What’s in store for PH in future

To remain competitive and rebuild public trust, analysts emphasise that Pakatan Harapan must urgently change and adopt new strategies in its political approach.

Rather than relying solely on its existing three-party core, PH is urged to expand its coalition by building strategic alliances with aligned progressive and regional parties, such as MUDA, Bersama, PSM (Parti Sosialis Malaysia), and Berjasa. Expanding its footprint and addressing internal weaknesses will be essential if PH hopes to capture state and federal governance in upcoming elections.

PH should remember that Bersama was responsible for the loss of PH’s 2 state seats in Johor, namely Bukit Batu and Perling. Therefore, there should be new alignments, as echoed by MUDA President Amira Aisya.

Although Bersatu didn’t perform well in the Negeri Sembilan state assembly elections, the party’s support base across the nation cannot be discounted.

Therefore, in order to take on the formidable combination of BN and Perikatan, the time has come for Pakatan to bring all the above-mentioned parties under one umbrella.