Bersatu on losing path by relying on Umno protest votes, says analyst
Political observers see Umno to be regaining its strength with Malay support, but it’s the other way around for Bersatu.
Bersatu cannot continue to rely on protest votes from Umno supporters if it wishes to remain relevant in national politics, says an analyst
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said that a major reason for Bersatu’s survival is the support given by dissatisfied or disgruntled former Umno members and leaders.
However, Umno is currently regaining its strength with the support of Malay voters by showing that it is willing to adjust its strategies. But with Bersatu, “it’s the other way around”, he said.
He cited the example of the decision to dissuade government coalition partner DAP from campaigning at the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan, which boosted Umno’s image in the eyes of its supporters.
Barisan Nasional’s alliance with the DAP in the federal coalition government formed in 2022 had caused uneasiness among Umno grassroot members.
At the Nenggiri by-election in August, BN candidate Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani won with a 2,802-vote majority over Perikatan Nasional’s Rizwadi Ismail. The seat had been an Umno stronghold for four terms until PN won for the first time in the 2022 general election.
On Tuesday, former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said Bersatu’s biggest failure is its reliance on protest votes from Umno supporters. Speaking in the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Shahril said the protest vote was significant at the general election and the state assembly elections, but Bersatu had not evolved since then.
He said the party had failed in terms of a narrative, lacked clear policies, and had not established a strong rhetoric. Asked if Bersatu’s lack of direction was due to a dearth of thinkers, strategists or policymakers, Azmi said that it was due to the party’s leadership itself.
“A change of leadership is much needed but it’s currently being arranged by party president Muhyiddin Yassin for (secretary-general) Hamzah Zainudin to become his deputy. So nothing much is going to change for Bersatu,” he said.
Muhyiddin announced last November that he would defend his presidency, a position he held since the party’s inception in 2016.
Analyst Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said Bersatu needed fresh ideas and young leaders, “not recycled failed Umno grassroots leaders”.
Bersatu, a splinter group from Umno, was established by former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin following a rift within the party over ex-prime minister Najib Razak’s handling of the 1MDB scandal.
Other former Umno members who joined Bersatu include Ahmad Faizal Azumu, now the party’s deputy president, and Radzi Jidin, currently a vice-president.
Asrul said Bersatu must consider becoming a Malay-dominated multicultural party like PKR to remain relevant.
“The party must begin to set itself apart from PAS or risk being overshadowed in PN. If PAS and Bersatu continue with the same rhetoric they are limiting their reach to new members, voters, and fence sitters,” Asrul said.
