Hisommudin Bakar of Ilham Centre said such a move appears more focused on strengthening Umno’s position in Malay-majority seats than reflecting a broader BN strategy.
“Umno is likely attempting to challenge PN’s dominance by offering a similar right-leaning narrative in order to reclaim segments of the Malay electorate that once formed its traditional support base,” he told FMT, referring to Perikatan Nasional.
But Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said Umno cannot beat PN at its own game on Malay-Muslim identity politics.
“Those who believe in Malay-Islamic supremacy would still support PN, which is seen as more genuine. At the same time, Umno risks alienating its non-Malay partners by shifting further to the right,” he said.
They were responding to comments by former minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who said on BFM’s The Breakfast Grille that there is still room for the “old political script” championed by Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, even as the party seeks to modernise.
Khairy said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi may be tolerating Akmal’s controversial politics because of the “clear and present danger on the (political) right” posed by PN, but expects the party to return to a centrist Malay nationalist stance working with MCA and MIC.
Azmil rejected the centrist framing, arguing that it obscures the structural reality of the BN coalition model.
“It means the Malays will always be at the top, and the rights of non-Malays need to be seen through this lens. This has been the BN formula for decades to maintain stability,” he said.
Umno serves as the BN lynchpin that focuses on Malay-Muslim interests while sharing power with MCA and MIC.
Once the dominant force in Malaysian politics, Umno’s parliamentary strength has fallen sharply, from 102 seats in 2004 to just 27 in 2022.
PAS, meanwhile, increased its representation from 14 seats in 2018 to 44 seats in 2022.
Hisommudin said Umno’s long-standing image as defender of religion, race, and homeland once helped retain Malay support, but that alone is no longer enough.
He said younger voters are driven just as much by jobs, living costs, and economic security.
“PN gained substantial traction among the younger voters not merely because of identity politics, but because they successfully packaged their messaging in a more aggressive, emotionally persuasive, and digitally effective manner,” he said.
“Therefore, Umno Youth should not merely imitate older narratives, but instead rebuild a fresher political narrative that speaks directly to the aspirations and frustrations of contemporary Malay youth.”