Faiz Na’aman, who is now with PKR, said the consecutive losses by Bersatu candidates in recent by-elections indicate a growing rejection of the party within the Malay community.

He claimed that since aligning with PAS, Bersatu has become more marginalised and even strayed from its original goal of promoting a more moderate society and has adopted extreme rhetoric instead.

“The party’s image has suffered due to the rigid and extreme mentality of PAS, which is notorious for exploiting religion,” he said in a statement today.

“Bersatu members find themselves under the influence of PAS’s political approach, which only appeals to voters in ultra-conservative Malay areas.”

Faiz’s comments follow another electoral setback for PN in Johor, where Barisan Nasional’s Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah defeated the PN candidate from Bersatu, Haizan Jaafar, by a substantial majority of 20,648 votes.

Last month, BN successfully reclaimed the Nenggiri state seat in Kelantan with a commanding majority of 3,352 votes.

In his statement, Faiz also said the current Bersatu leadership seems more focused on preserving their positions rather than addressing the party’s future or engaging youth and grassroots members.

“Even candidates for the by-elections are sourced from PAS, and in the case of Mahkota, the candidate is not even a young person,” he said.

As such, he called for the founding members, grassroots and “genuine fighters” in Bersatu to recommit to the agenda of Reformasi, integrity, and progress, by joining PKR.

“They must do so if they do not wish to resort to the racial and religious sentiments that divide our multicultural and predominantly moderate society anymore,” Faiz said.