PH’s multi-party setup a boon but does not guarantee Malay votes

2026-03-18 - 23:51

The ability of PH components DAP, PKR and Amanah to appeal to different segment of voters will work to its advantage, according to Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: An Amanah leader has touted Pakatan Harapan’s multi-party structure as an advantage in the fight for votes, but an analyst warns that the coalition may have trouble reaching the Malays. Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof, who is also a member of Amanah’s national committee, said the three main parties — PKR, DAP and Amanah — complement each other given their individual appeal to different demographics. “We know the DAP is strong in urban areas, PKR in semi-urban areas, while Amanah is indeed more present in rural constituencies,” he said in an interview with FMT. This, he said, enables the three component parties to target different voter segments effectively. Azli Yusof. “So the synergy among these three parties in the PH coalition is very strong. In my view, it is the best arrangement because each party has its own target voters and each tries to leverage its respective strengths,” he added. However, geo-strategist at Akademi Nusantara Azmi Hassan said that while dividing electoral responsibilities among coalition partners can be strategically useful, PH still faces challenges in winning over the Malays. He said many Malay voters remain cautious about PH due to the presence of DAP in the coalition, while PKR’s multiracial identity may also limit its appeal among certain segments of the Malay electorate, particularly those in rural areas. “If PH wants to attract Malay voters, Amanah and PKR are the key players. This is because the themes and promises that appeal to different groups of voters are not the same,” he told FMT. Azmi Hassan. “It is up to Amanah (to reach the Malay voters), but they are still relatively weak in this context and cannot yet be seen as a strong alternative to PAS,” Azmi said. He said this dynamic partly explains why many Malay voters have gravitated towards Perikatan Nasional (PN), particularly PAS. Despite winning GE15 with 82 seats and going on to form the unity government with several others, PH has continued to face challenges in consolidating support among Malay voters, many of whom have shifted their support towards PN in recent elections. PH has traditionally drawn strong support from urban and multi-ethnic constituencies, particularly through DAP and PKR. Last Wednesday, FMT quoted analyst Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri as saying that Amanah’s values-based political approach could attract new voters if the party shakes off the impression that it relies too heavily on the strength of its coalition partners. He was commenting on Azli’s statement that the party aims to project values‐based politics — a modern and inclusive vision of Islamic politics that it believes Malay voters are ready to embrace.