Bersatu’s call for snap
polls driven by weakening
influence, says analyst
James Chin says weaker parties need more time to prepare for elections to address their internal weaknesses.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said the party’s leadership is aware of its diminishing influence, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim consolidating power and PAS strengthening its own position.
“The weaker the party, the earlier you have to prepare for general elections,” he told FMT.
“Because if you are a weak party, the earlier you prepare, the more time you have to fix all the weaknesses in your election machinery.”
Bersatu has been beset by internal struggles, with last year’s party elections widely viewed as a proxy battle between current deputy president Hamzah Zainudin and Azmin Ali.
The party also appears to be at odds with Perikatan Nasional ally PAS over leadership of the coalition and the choice of its prime ministerial candidate.
Despite these challenges, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin recently urged party members to prepare for a nationwide election “by the end of this year”, implying that Anwar’s unity government may not last its full term.
Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani of ADA Southeast Asia said Muhyiddin’s call is more about creating doubt and destabilising the government.
“By suggesting that there will be early snap elections, Bersatu is implying that Anwar is weak and lacks political support,” he said.
But if a general election does take place, Asrul said Bersatu and PAS may run separate campaigns under PN due to ongoing tensions.
“This approach could negatively impact their electoral performance, as PAS supporters may not be inclined to support a Bersatu candidate and vice versa,” he said.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said a snap election would be a distraction for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which is already focused on its upcoming state election.
“For Gabungan Parti Sarawak, its ironclad stranglehold on Sarawak politics is such that it really does not matter when and how frequently the federal election is held, as they are likely to sweep up most if not all of the seats,” he said.
Jayum Jawan of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said neither GPS nor GRS determines the formation of a government.
“GRS (six seats) and GPS (23) merely helped give the current government its two-thirds majority, not the simple majority needed,” he said, noting that even when combined with PH’s 81 seats, the total still falls short of the 112 needed for a simple majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
"We must have the elections NOW.
ReplyDeleteAnother 9 months, and we have lost Any chance to win".