SHAH ALAM - Malaysia’s growing number of political parties should not be viewed as a threat to political stability, but rather as a reflection of voters wanting more choices while growing increasingly frustrated with politicians who continue to focus on race-and-religion (2R) issues instead of solving bread-and-butter concerns, political analysts say.
The debate comes amid former opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s reported plans to launch a new political platform dubbed 'Reset' and former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli’s recent introduction of Bersama, adding to an already crowded political landscape ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16).
Political analyst James Chin said the emergence of more parties was part of a functioning democratic system and did not automatically create instability.
“Of course the more parties there are, the better it is. It gives people more choices,” he told Sinar Daily.
He stressed that governments in Malaysia are formed through party-based parliamentary numbers, making political parties central to the country’s democratic structure.
Chin also dismissed concerns that more political parties would directly lead to instability, arguing that the bigger issue lies in the failure of political leaders to build effective coalitions before elections.
“It is the failure of political leaders in this country to come together to form pre-election coalitions,” he said.
According to Chin, public frustration today is less about the growing number of parties and more about politicians continuing to rely heavily on 2R narratives involving race and religion.
“What people want is for their day-to-day living issues to be resolved, for the economy to improve, wages to rise, people to have more money in their pockets and for the government to function more efficiently.
“They are tired of politicians only playing the race-and-religion narrative," he added.
Meanwhile, O2 Research head Anis Anwar said Malaysia already has more than 50 registered political parties, meaning the emergence of new parties itself is not unusual.
“What matters is not merely the existence of more parties, but whether these parties are capable of making a meaningful impact on the political landscape,” he said.
However, he noted that Rafizi and Hamzah differ from many smaller political players due to their influence, political branding and established organisational networks.
“Both are political heavyweights. Their presence carries name recognition, organisational networks and the potential to shift voter alignments,” he said.
Anis said whether these new political movements strengthen democracy or create instability would largely depend on how they position themselves during GE16.
“If they contest independently in a crowded field, then yes, it may contribute to fragmentation and increase the possibility of unstable post-election bargaining.
“However, if they enter through alliances or negotiated electoral arrangements, then their presence may consolidate rather than fragment the vote," he said.
He believes Hamzah’s political movements suggest that his camp is more likely to pursue alliances rather than contest entirely on its own, particularly given his ties with Pas and Perikatan Nasional.
“The more realistic reading is that he is trying to navigate and manoeuvre towards an alliance that can consolidate conservative votes,” he said.
Anis also distinguished the political spaces likely to be occupied by Bersama and Reset.
“Bersama appears to be drawing from a centre-left or reformist voter pool, where there are still not many credible alternatives capable of challenging Pakatan Harapan directly.
"Reset, on the other hand, is expected to operate within the conservative bloc, where fragmentation is already much deeper," he added.
Because of this, he warned that Reset could face significant risks if it chose to stand independently without electoral coordination.
“The real danger is not the formation of new parties, but uncoordinated multi-cornered contests that turn Parliament into a collection of kingmakers without a stable governing direction,” he added.
Looking ahead to GE16, Anis said the political climate is expected to differ significantly from GE15, which was shaped heavily by post-Sheraton Move instability and frustrations during the Covid-19 period.
“GE16 presents a different reality. It reminds voters that no single party or coalition can easily govern alone, even after a full and relatively stable parliamentary term," he said.
As a result, he expects GE16 to become a far more open and personality-driven contest where alliances, candidate selection and strategic positioning may matter just as much as party labels.
On the continued presence of veteran politicians in Malaysian politics, Anis said senior leaders could still remain relevant if they played mentoring and stabilising roles instead of blocking generational transition.