Who will be 'Bersama' Rafizi in the new political wave?

SHAH ALAM – A new political opening linked to Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli is already stirring curiosity— not over what it is yet, but who might be willing to bet their future on it.

Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), a relatively low-profile political party founded a decade ago, has suddenly emerged into the national spotlight after former economy minister Rafizi and former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad took over its leadership on Sunday.

While details surrounding Bersama remain unclear, early chatter in political circles suggests that it is being viewed less as an immediate structure and more as an emerging space for political realignment ahead of the next general election.

At this stage, there is no formal list of names or confirmed participation, but the idea alone has been enough to trigger speculation about whether figures aligned with reformist ideals or those increasingly disillusioned with existing coalitions could eventually gravitate towards it.

Political analyst Arif Anwar Lokmanol Hakim pointed to several MPs who could potentially be associated with such a shift, particularly those who have shown signs of distancing themselves from party leadership.

Among those he listed were Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail, Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan, Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, Ledang MP Ibrahim Syed Noh, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Selayang MP William Leong and Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim.

Beyond individuals, Arif said smaller parties such as the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) are among the most likely to align with Bersama.

“Muda and PSM are among the most likely political groups to align with Rafizi’s new party because their ideological orientation is less centred on Malay-Islamic politics.

“Instead, they are generally associated with socialist, progressive and reform-oriented politics,” he said.

He said they have also long positioned themselves as part of Malaysia’s ‘third force’ political space, offering an alternative outside the traditional major coalitions.

Meanwhile, political analyst Oh Ei Sun said potential supporters are likely to come from reformist circles within the ruling coalition, particularly those who have grown increasingly disillusioned.

Among those names are Batu Gajah MP Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Rodziah, Bakhtiar, Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing and Zahir.

Oh noted that one of the clearest early signs of a possible alignment would be when MPs or party leaders become “increasingly vocal against the powers that be” within their own parties, signalling a gradual ideological drift before any formal political move takes place.

On the question of whether a new party such as Bersama could gain immediate traction, he said early performance would depend heavily on electoral timing and participation in upcoming state elections, which could serve as a “litmus test” of its public acceptance.

However, he added that such a movement may find stronger resonance at the national level if it successfully positions itself as a credible third force.

Bersama, also known as the Malaysian United Party (MUP), was officially registered on Dec 2, 2016, in George Town, Penang.

The party was initially formed as a small splinter movement linked to members formerly associated with Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). It was founded and led by Tan Gin Theam, who served as the party’s original president.

For years, the party remained relatively unknown in mainstream Malaysian politics. However, that changed significantly on Sunday following a major leadership transition.

Rafizi previously served as PKR deputy president and Nik Nazmi was former vice-president.

Their move followed internal tensions within PKR after both leaders lost during the party elections held in May 2025. The defeats were followed by their exit from the federal Cabinet, eventually culminating in their decision to leave PKR altogether.

To comply with Malaysia’s anti-party hopping law, both leaders vacated their parliamentary seats before joining Bersama. Rafizi relinquished the Pandan parliamentary seat, while Nik Nazmi stepped down as Setiawangsa MP.