PAS still a force but faces a partnership dilemma, says analyst

 

PAS failed to win a seat in the Melaka elections but “did reasonably well” in winning votes in Melaka, which is not a stronghold of the party. (Bernama pic)

GEORGE TOWN: It’s not the end of the road for PAS following the party’s dismal performance at the recently concluded Melaka polls, where it failed to win any seat.

Political researcher Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk of Universiti Sains Malaysia said PAS had done reasonably well in terms of votes received despite the state not being a traditional stronghold.

He said the PAS support base was stronger than that of other parties in the Perikatan Nasional alliance. The party had 91 state assembly seats across the country, besides 18 parliamentary seats, which keeps it in good stead, he said.

However, PN mainstay Bersatu was in a precarious situation given its poor showing of winning just two seats while Gerakan, the other PN partner, had lost all leverage by losing its contests.

“PAS has their political base, and they have a firmer footing. But they have never won in Melaka. Regardless of the Melaka results, they will retain Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu in the coming general election,” he said.

Azeem, who is director of USM’s Centre for Policy Research and International Studies, said Bersatu’s poor performance was no surprise as it never had a strong machinery in Melaka.

PAS would remain torn between Perikatan Nasional and Umno, which had indicated a willingness to work with the party but not with Bersatu. “PAS wants to work with both. So that is going to be their political dilemma,” he said.

Melaka victory stays in Melaka

Azeem said BN’s landslide victory came as no surprise as Melaka was a BN stronghold, with pockets of support for the DAP.

The Pakatan Harapan victory in 2018 (when the coalition came to power by winning 15 seats) was a mere anomaly, he said, while the BN victory on Saturday was a result of voters deciding to “go back to what they know”.

Azeem cautioned BN against “careless bravado” in moving for early national elections. He said the voters’ sentiments in Melaka could not be applied to other parts of the country.

Melaka voter turnout was low at 66% and was not a good barometer for BN’s future performance at the national level. General elections would usually see more voters coming out, usually above 75%.

“If BN thinks they can celebrate, there is something they need to think about. The dynamics are different at the national level. A majority of the Chinese are with Pakatan Harapan. “If Umno politicians did their homework, they will know what happened in Melaka won’t be replicated elsewhere save for pockets of support for BN here and there.”

It was unlikely for BN to make a national comeback, especially in states such as Selangor and Penang. Both states are run by Pakatan Harapan.

“What happened in Melaka stays in Melaka. You can’t say the same will happen in a general election,” he said. - FMT