Opinion | Will Malaysia’s Johor polls herald the start of a new opposition front?
- The PN ruling coalition is unlikely to retain as many seats as before while the PH is losing ground and the BN’s fortunes could improve
- A new alliance between MUDA, Pejuang and Warisan looks to be taking shape even if it won’t be tested at the March 12 election
The political battle will test traditional alliances and could herald the formation of a new opposition alliance.
Three political parties created over the past five years, namely Warisan, Pejuang and the Malaysian Democratic Alliance (MUDA) are attempting to form a new coalition as an alternative to the Pakatan Harapan (PH). PH, the previous ruling coalition that became the opposition in 2020, has faced leadership problems and a lack of internal reform that has frustrated their supporters. The subsequent entry of the three political newcomers now creates the perfect conditions for the emergence of a new front.
The state polls in Johor will thus help build momentum for a new coalition, as it will deepen the widening disconnect between the PH leadership and their support base, while highlighting the weakness of the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) ruling coalition.
PH and PN are likely to face a different outcome in this election. In the last General Election in 2018, the DAP – one of the PH’s component parties that also comprises the People’s Justice Party led by Anwar Ibrahim and the Islamist reformist National Trust Party (Amanah) – won 14 seats in Johor, the most by any party.
But the relationship between the three major members of the PH has been deteriorating since 2018. Chauvinistic racial rhetoric by DAP leaders has also put off many Malay voters. For many Malays, the Chinese-based party remains a threat to their political dominance.
