SHAH ALAM – The decision to once again nominate Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the Prime Minister candidate signals Bersatu’s continued dependence on his leadership credentials and personal appeal to galvanise public support.
According to political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mohd Azhar Abd Hamid, Muhyiddin’s credibility remained a key pillar, especially among traditional voters and grassroots supporters of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
“So far, no other figure within Bersatu had been able to match his stature.
His deputy might come close, but Muhyiddin’s experience, including leading the country during the Covid-19 crisis and his international connections, set him significantly ahead,” he said.
Azhar, a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) School of Human Resource Development and Psychology, added that this move highlighted Bersatu’s current lack of equally strong successors who could be promoted as leading candidates for party or coalition leadership.
Commenting on Muhyiddin’s current position, Dr Azhar maintained that he still possessed a high level of electability, a critical factor for PN supporters looking towards the 16th General Election (GE16).
“However, the challenge ahead was substantial. The latest findings by Merdeka Centre in June 2025 indicated that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had an approval rating of 55 per cent among registered voters, showing his support base continued to grow.
“If Muhyiddin ended up facing Anwar in GE16, the path would be far from easy. He would need to work much harder and start preparing immediately if he hoped to remain a relevant force in national politics,” he said.
Meanwhile, political analyst Dr Mohamad Hafis Amat Simin believed that renaming Muhyiddin as the PM candidate might offer Bersatu a temporary sense of stability.
“But in today’s increasingly competitive political landscape, relying solely on the ‘Muhyiddin brand’ would not be enough. If PN genuinely wanted to rival the Unity Government, it would need a more inclusive strategy, fresher leadership and a new narrative that convinced voters the change on offer went beyond recycling familiar faces,” he said.
He added that, in terms of winnability, Muhyiddin still appeared to have a shot.
A recent Masa Depan Malaysia (Masa) Institute poll suggested he remained the most popular figure in the opposition bloc, outperforming other PN leaders.
“This popularity offered some reassurance that he retained support on the ground, especially in Malay-majority constituencies.
"However, popularity alone did not guarantee victory.
“His age, ongoing court cases and the legacy of his administration during the pandemic remained common talking points for his political rivals,” he said.