PAKATAN Harapan’s (PH) decision not to include the youth-based Muda in its coalition might come to haunt them if they lose seats in the state elections by close margins, political experts said. 

University of Tasmania’s James Chin said it was “foolish” of PH not to accept Muda. 

“This has forced Muda to go solo and become the third force. 

“What PH should have done is bring Muda into the PH tent as part of the coalition to campaign against Perikatan Nasional (PN),” the professor of Asian Studies said. 

Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman announced on Monday that the youth-based party will contest the state elections under its own banner.

“This election is crucial for the survival of the entire unity government. 

“If we look at the PN’s side, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang are collecting every political group and individual who are against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Whoever is against Anwar, PN will accept them. 

“So, the logical thing for PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) on this side should be to collect support of anyone who is against PN,” Chin said. 

PH has been silent on Muda’s application to join the coalition since the youth-based party submitted it in November last year. 

Chin saids Muda might not win all the seats it contests but it could draw youth votes for PH if they were made part of the coalition. 

“Muda will not break all the votes but certainly they will influence and take some of the youth votes. 

“The voting pattern is quite obvious. The young people, especially the young Malays, have been voting for PN in GE15. 

“Muda could have at least reached out to these young voters and neutralised the political support for the other side,” he said. 

Chin said it was not too late for PH to accept them into the coalition. 

“During BN’s dominant era, there were so many BN-supporting parties who were not given seats but they were still campaigning for BN. 

“That model could have been used for this. PH-Muda could have negotiated terms (to go into the state polls together). 

“However, the good news is that PH still has time. Time is only up on nomination day. They should try to negotiate with Muda,” Chin said. 

Muda irrelevant in long run 

Other political analysts, meanwhile, had contrasting views, saying Muda might not have much to offer in the state polls. 

Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Muda is risking the future of the party by going solo. 

“Muda is taking a very high risk and if it loses in the state polls, I think the party will probably disappear from the political radar,” the analyst said. 

He also said PH might not offer them membership, given the “emotional” attitude of the youth-based party. 

“I don’t see Muda going anywhere in the short and long term. 

“Moreover, their attitude towards PH will not go down well. PH might not open the door (for Muda) in the long term,” he said. 

International Islamic University of Malaysia’s Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar said Muda does not have much to offer in the already crowded political field. 

“From the last GE15, Muda had the support from PH, but could only win one parliamentary seat. It won one state assembly seat (in Johor polls) before, and split PH’s votes in Larkin. 

“The best they could do is to split PH’s votes because the voter demographics are quite similar. 

“It also would be interesting to see if Muda can keep its deposits in the seats it contests,” the political science assistant professor told The Malaysian Insight. 

Tunku Mohar said Muda would have some influence in the urban seats but added it would not hinder PH’s chances. 

“The urban areas are where PH is strongest. 

“Muda only vindicates the thinking that youth are naive and impatient. Without the support of a coalition, it won’t stand a chance to win any seat,” he said. 

Six states are headed for the polls. Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Penang are governed by PH while Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu are governed by PN. 

The dates for the polls have not been fixed. All six states must hold elections by September. – June 28, 2023.