Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said the party had suffered from limited grassroots support at the outset, and a lack of clear ideological direction.
“The issues have been there for so long without efforts to really deal with it,” she told FMT. Instead, the party keeps depending on party president Muhyiddin Yassin.
While reliance on a single leader worked for PKR, which had made reform the pillar of its party, Bersatu could not adopt such a strategy, Syaza said.
“Bersatu is just for the Malays, and we have many of such parties already,” she said.
Syaza suggested a “fresh do-over” for Bersatu, but she questioned what the party can offer now that its image of being “clean” is compromised by the court cases against Muhyiddin.
“Until and unless Bersatu can clarify (what more it can offer), expect more defections,” she said.
Bersatu’s recent struggles have intensified as internal divisions and vocal dissatisfaction from its branches underscore growing discontent with the party’s leadership.
Adding to the turbulence, PAS vice-president Samsuri Mokhtar resigned as Perikatan Nasional’s treasurer, while the Sabah Progressive Party exited the coalition entirely due to PN’s decision to contest all state constituencies.
Bersatu still holds key positions in PN, including that of chairman, secretary-general, and opposition leader.
Offering a more optimistic view, Azmi Hassan from Akademi Nusantara said Bersatu is still vital as it is indispensable to PN’s continued success.
While its ally PAS controls more state governments and holds the lion’s share of parliamentary seats, Azmi contended that it is Bersatu’s political manoeuvring that has kept the coalition relevant.
“They (PAS) lack strategies and ideas,” he said, citing the party’s failure to identify their candidate to be prime minister.
“Despite Bersatu’s internal turmoil, I see Bersatu at the wheel in PN compared to PAS, only because Bersatu leaders are strategically much better in forming policies or strategies compared to PAS leaders.”