The Malaysian Insight

MUHYIDDIN Yassin’s Bersatu is caught between Umno and its founder and former chairman, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said analysts.

The party is facing an exodus after Dr Mahathir announced his new party, Pejuang, while Umno, its ally in the Perikatan Nasional government, continues to snipe at its heels.

Muhyiddin may enjoy personal popularity due to the government’s handling of movement controls and economic measures against the Covid-19 pandemic but the exodus in the party and a lack of trust from Umno are exposing Bersatu’s weaknesses, said analysts.

Political analyst Mazlan Ali said even though Bersatu sacked Dr Mahathir, the former prime minister’s shadow still looms over the party.

Bersatu’s grassroots are leaving the party for Pejuang, an indication that while the leadership supports Muhyiddin, rank-and-file members may not.

The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer told The Malaysian Insight that the exodus will give Bersatu a bad image among its allies, which will lead to its biggest challenge – its relationship with the dominant Umno.

Even before Bersatu’s intentions to join the Umno-PAS pact, Muafakat Nasional, were made known, various Umno figures were already criticising Bersatu for making demands on seat allocations for the next general election.

Now, Bersatu has been put on notice by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said MN’s decision whether to admit the party into its pact will depend on how much Bersatu can contribute to the Umno candidate in the ongoing Slim by-election.

Zahid said while launching the Barisan Nasional youth by-election machinery a few days ago that the 6,000 votes Bersatu received in the 2018 polls should go to the BN candidate on August 29.

“If they can’t attract 6,000 or 8,000 votes, we must ask, what’s the value of political cooperation with them?” Zahid was quoted as saying.

Mazlan said he sees Zahid’s ultimatum as an impossible achievement for Bersatu and showed how lightly Umno is taking the splinter party.

It also shows how challenging seat negotiations will be for Bersatu.

“Even holding on to its seats won in GE14 will be difficult.”

Umno’s MN partner, PAS, has no objections to Bersatu’s entry as it has nothing to lose, Mazlan added.

Bersatu, being an Umno splinter party, contested against its former comrades in many seats in GE14. After BN lost federal power, many Umno leaders quit to join Bersatu.

Political observer Kenneth Cheng from the Agora Society said Umno’s behaviour towards Bersatu in the Slim by-election borders on arrogance and showed how little it thinks of Bersatu.

Agora Society is a civil society group dedicated to the advancement of society based on the principles of democracy and good governance.

Even Umno grassroots members seem to think that Bersatu contributes nothing to Umno in an alliance.

The popular thinking is that Umno can defend its own seats without the splinter party’s help.

Cheng does not expect Muhyiddin’s hopes for Bersatu to join MN to proceed smoothly.

It is more efficient for Bersatu to be reintegrated into Umno as advocated by several Umno leaders and members. But it would be at a loss of face for Bersatu and Muhyiddin.

Cheng said the ultimate test will be when Bersatu and Umno have to negotiate seats.

“That’s when we will see what happens between them.” – August 20, 2020.