The poor performance of Bersatu has further complicated Anwar’s efforts to broaden PH’s appeal among Malay voters.
Despite informal cooperation that saw PH avoid contesting four constituencies where Bersatu fielded candidates, Muhyiddin’s party failed to win any of the seven seats it contested, losing its deposits in five after failing to garner enough votes.
Its strongest showing came in Pantai Kundor, where candidate Asmah Samat secured 6,112 votes against BN’s 8,864, but the party failed to make a meaningful impact elsewhere.
In Bemban, Bersatu managed just 2,109 votes, finishing behind Bersama, which garnered 4,140 votes, and PN’s victorious candidate, who secured 11,881 votes.
Azmi said Bersatu had failed to demonstrate that it could attract sufficient Malay support to become a “reliable electoral partner” for PH, casting doubt on the value of any future cooperation.
Syaza, however, offered a more measured assessment, saying Bersatu could still target constituencies in states such as Selangor if it developed a clearer political identity.
“Bersatu needs to figure out if they want to re-brand and aim for a wider pool of voters. This could work if it forms a pact with others, others its just splitting more votes and BN-PN will benefit,” she said.
For Bersama, meanwhile, another election without a single victory represents a setback to its ambitions of emerging as a credible alternative to established political parties.
The Rafizi-led party contested 16 seats but failed to win any, retaining its deposit only in Bemban, where it captured 22.5 per cent of valid votes.
Chin said Bersama had damaged its credibility by contesting in the Johor and Melaka state elections without securing a victory, arguing that it should have concentrated its resources on GE16.
“But they still have a chance because the core support of its leaders like Rafizi, Wong Chen and Lee Chean Chung is in the Klang Valley where they have established political bases,” he added.
