SMALLER parties’ lack of strategy and ideas have compromised their attempts to be the “third force” in Malaysian politics, pundits said.

Candidates from these pacts were wiped out in the six-state polls, with some losing their deposits.

Political pundits said the problem with third-force wannabes is their failure to attract voters.

Ilham Centre’s Hisommudin Bakar told The Malaysian Insight these parties “have an identity problem”.

In Saturday’s polls, Muda and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) labelled themselves the third force against Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

However, both smaller parties’ candidates lost their deposits.

Hisommudin said Muda and PSM failed in their campaigning.

“Muda should have succeeded in getting the attention of young voters” but failed to do so, he said.

“Also, Muda’s campaign was not interesting. Its conventional campaign methods failed and its TikTok campaign did not trend. Muda did not make use of any new ways of campaigning.

“PSM, meanwhile, is still plagued by the social activist approach. Its campaign was not effective or interesting and it was not united, either.”

He said though PSM’s move to champion lower-class struggles should have been accepted by its target group, the party failed.

Hisommudin said Muda and PSM drowned in the PH-BN/PN fight.

‘Weak leadership’

Hisommudin however refrained from entirely dismissing the chances of parties looking to be the third force.

He said they can succeed with good enough approaches.

“Just look at PN – it managed to become the third force in GE15. PAS was not performing well until it rebranded under PN,” he said.

In its maiden foray into the federal polls, PN – comprising Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan – secured a whopping 73 seats, which hung parliament before PH and BN joined to form the government.

International Islamic University of Malaysia’s Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar said the third force in Malaysian politics, which is led by smaller parties, is not strong enough and lacks a firm voice and leadership.

“In a contest between two established coalitions, the third force does not stand a chance to win,” he said.

Tunku Mohar said Muda was not a third force, and only helped PN win seats by splitting votes.

He was referring to the Sungai Kandis seat in Selangor, where PN’s Wan Dzahanurin Ahmad managed to secure 28,962 votes, giving him a slim 167-vote majority win over PH’s Zawali Mughni. Muda candidate Afriena Shaqira garnered 1,341 votes.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Mazlan Ali said Muda and PSM, and even Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) previously led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which lost heavily in the last general election, are not notable.

“They are insignificant in Malaysian politics, proven by their results in the elections they have contested,” he said.

GTA contested 125 seats in the November general election, but all its candidates, including Dr Mahathir and his son Mukhriz, who is Pejuang president, were defeated.

Mazlan said people now only see PH-BN and PN. – August 15, 2023.