NEW, small and relatively unknown political parties will find it tough to make any headway in the coming general election, analysts said.

These parties’ situation will become more dire if they go solo, observers added.

They said parties like Pejuang, even though led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Warisan Sabah, which has spread its wings to the peninsula, will find it hard to win voters’ trust in such a short period of time.

This election, they added, will still be dominated by the three main political blocs – Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Cheah See Kian, a veteran political observer, bluntly told The Malaysian Insight that small and new parties would not go far.

“Voters are not familiar with them, so it is unlikely they will get much support.

“Since time immemorial people have had a tendency to go for things, in this case parties, they are more familiar with.

“I don’t see any chances for these small, new or splinter parties formed after breaking away from bigger parties,” he said.

Cheah said voters will have no problem identifying the PN led by Muhyiddin Yassin, the Umno-led BN or Anwar Ibrahim’s PH and their political ideologies.

He said the fortunes of these small parties could change if they were to join and be a component party of the three blocs, like Dr Mahathir’s Pejuang flirting with Muhyiddin’s PN.

“If Pejuang were to go alone this 15th general election, their fate will be like what happened in the Johor elections, despite the party having someone as influential as Dr Mahathir.

“Dr Mahathir alone will not draw in support. This will happen with all the other parties.”

In the Johor polls, Pejuang rejected PH’s offer of cooperation to field candidates in 42 of the 56 seats. None of their candidates won.

Cheah said the same trajectory awaits Zuraida Kamaruddin’s Parti Bangsa Malaysia and Mohd Shafie Apdal’s Warisan.

“They lack charisma and influence. They will get some votes but it won’t be enough to win any seats.

“So it could be a bit of a wasted effort,” he said.

On former youth and sport minister’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s Muda, Cheah said the criminal case where he is accused of misappropriating more than RM1 million as well as criminal breach of trust, coupled with his lack of influence, could drive potential supporters away.

He added that since voters in general do not know these parties or the personalities behind them, it would be extremely difficult for them to change minds in the short 14-day campaign period.

Prominent social and political activist Vincent Thock Kiah Wah said historically, the trend has always been a difficult beginning for new parties. He pointed to DAP as a good example.

Thock said it took DAP nearly two decades, from the 1970s to 1990s, to gain a toehold in the Malaysian political scene.

He said it was only after teaming up with Anwar and forming a coalition that is known as PH today, did DAP become successful.

It culminated in the historical 2018 win that toppled the BN that had been in power for more than 60 years.

Thock said BN managed to stay in power for such a long time because it drew strength from the many component parties in the coalition.

The experiences of DAP and BN are a reflection of how difficult it is for small parties to survive, he added.

He said the same would be faced by other small parties like Parti Rakyat Malaysia, Parti Sosialis Malaysia and outspoken human rights lawyer and activist Siti Kasim’s Gerak Independent movement.

Thock said with the myriad of parties and coalitions, the days of straight fights are gone and this general election will see more multi-cornered fights.

That, he added, will further reduce the chances of winning for the smaller parties. – October 27, 2022.