Any non-Malay bloc aligned with Perikatan Nasional is likely to be marginalised within the opposition coalition, much like Gerakan, political analysts warn.
Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University and ADA Southeast Asia’s Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said any attempt to woo non-Malay support would likely fall flat so long as PN maintains its Malay-Muslim dominance.
“There is no credible non-Malay bloc that can be PN’s respectable partner,” Wong told FMT.
“As long as PN insists on Malay-Muslim dominance, non-Malay partners will be seen as puppets, just like Gerakan.”
Wong said these “satellite parties” are unlikely to win over non-Malay voters, giving PN no reason to treat them seriously. That leaves them trapped in a “vicious cycle of irrelevance”, he added.
Asrul said PN’s inability to attract non-Malay voters may cost it the next general election, despite the presence of Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) in its ranks.
He said that unless PAS softens its image and adopts a more inclusive, policy-focused agenda — like it did under the late Nik Aziz Nik Mat during its Pakatan Rakyat days — any multiracial outreach would be short-lived.
“PAS needs to frame its Islamic agenda around economic fairness and equality to appeal to all Malaysians. Otherwise, partnerships with non-Malay parties will lack credibility.
“Gerakan was supposed to be the coalition’s bridge to the Chinese electorate, but it struggled, not just because of weak grassroots, but also due to PAS‘s messaging,” he said.
The idea for a two-pronged coalition was first mooted by Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir.
He called for the formation of a bloc of parties capable of garnering support in predominantly non-Malay areas, to complement PN’s efforts to consolidate its base in Malay-majority constituencies.
The proposal aims to counter any stigma surrounding PAS among non-Malays, acknowledging the coalition’s limited traction within the community.
Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said PN’s non-Malay components were “too mild and conservative” to articulate the broader concerns of the Chinese and Indians, while the coalition continues to struggle in the west coast and southern states which have non-Malay majorities.
Asrul said this two-pronged strategy might work, but only if non-Malay leaders within PN are given meaningful opportunities rather than mere symbolic roles.
Wong said while some Indian voters may have lost faith in the government, their numbers were not large enough to significantly impact electoral outcomes.
“Indian voters make up 20% or more in only a few seats,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, independent political analyst Adib Zalkapli expressed support for the proposal, saying PN should leave “no stone unturned” in its efforts to reach out to non-Malay voters, even if they remained loyal to Pakatan Harapan.
“They should explore every possible approach to win over non-Malay voters,” he said.
