SHAH ALAM – Bersatu is facing an increasingly difficult political dilemma after losing all 24 seats it contested in the Negeri Sembilan state election, with the party now having to determine whether to move closer to Pakatan Harapan (PH), seek cooperation with Barisan Nasional (BN) or remain in Perikatan Nasional (PN).
The uncertainty comes as Bersatu has shown signs of opening up to new political alignments, while its relationship with PN becomes increasingly uncertain.
On Wednesday, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the coalition would not be surprised if Bersatu sought new partners, adding that the party’s actions technically indicated that it did not intend to remain in PN.
This was followed by a proposal by the Melaka Bersatu Youth Wing for the party to negotiate with BN ahead of the Melaka state election, provided Bemban and Sungai Udang, the two seats it won in 2021, were retained.
At the same time, there have been several signs of closer ties between Bersatu and PH, particularly in Selangor.
Selangor Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali had adopted a friendly tone towards Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari during the State Legislative Assembly sitting, while Bersatu Youth chief Muhammad Hilman Idham did not rule out the possibility of the party’s assemblymen supporting Amirudin’s administration if necessary.
Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had also welcomed several measures announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim aimed at easing the people’s cost of living.
However, no official PH-Bersatu negotiations have taken place so far.
Ilham Centre Research Fellow Mujibu Abd Muis said Bersatu needed to be more proactive in seeking a new political alignment following its increasingly uncertain position within PN.
“From there, the reading that we can see is that Bersatu is saying that they are ready to form a new alliance or alignment with anyone, where at this point PH may be seen as more suitable.
“If we look at PH’s need to find a party that can bring Malay votes back to them, after PKR and Amanah are still unable to attract those votes, then perhaps Bersatu is the one that seems suitable,” he said.
Mujibu, however, said the bigger question was whether Muhyiddin was prepared to reopen cooperation with Anwar after their history of political hostility.
He said Selangor could become an important battleground if a PH-Bersatu alignment materialised, given Bersatu’s presence in several strategic areas.
However, PH’s relationship with BN could also determine whether such an alignment was possible, particularly with preparations for the Melaka state election already taking shape.
Anwar has given Amirudin the mandate to detail the form of PH-BN cooperation in Melaka, including seat allocations, with its direction expected to be known before Sept 16.
“However, if PH relies too heavily on BN, the space to build a new alignment with Bersatu may become increasingly narrow.
“In my view, the best approach in this context may be negotiations. PH is also becoming stronger in negotiating with BN, particularly in the context of Melaka and it is not impossible that this may also happen at the Federal level,” he said.
Bersatu’s political position was further weakened after the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan state election, where it contested under its own symbol but failed to win any of the 24 seats it contested.
BN won 18 seats, PH 11 and PN seven, with BN and PN subsequently joining forces to form the state government with 25 seats.
Former BN Penang executive secretary Azizi Safar said PH’s decision to maintain its relationship with BN could make it more difficult for Bersatu to establish a new alignment with PH.
He said the Sheraton Move in 2020, particularly the role associated with Azmin, remained a deep political wound among PKR supporters.
“If PKR agrees to cooperate with Bersatu or Azmin, can PKR supporters forget the Sheraton Move that caused them to lose the government in 2020?
“This is the deepest political wound in PKR’s history. I do not think PKR supporters can accept Azmin and his faction with open arms,” he said.
Azizi said Bersatu’s bigger challenge was now its own survival, following strained relations with Pas and its failure to demonstrate electoral strength when contesting alone in Negeri Sembilan.
“If PH can remain together with BN, Bersatu may be able to say goodbye to the political world. This is because with Bersatu’s position severely weakened, the party has problems sitting with PH, problems with BN and problems with Pas in PN as well.
“If this situation continues, Bersatu may repeat the fate of Semangat 46, which disappeared after two general elections,” he said.
The Melaka state election could therefore become a crucial test of Bersatu’s bargaining power and its ability to secure a new political alignment ahead of GE16.
A new partnership could give Bersatu room to rebuild its position, but failure to secure cooperation with PH, BN or PN could further weaken its ability to remain politically relevant.