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By Mihar Dias June 2026
Malaysian politics has always had a peculiar tradition. Every political party celebrates democracy until somebody actually exercises it.
Then suddenly democracy becomes sabotage.
The latest warning from Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli that Pakatan Harapan, particularly DAP, will direct enormous resources to destroy Bersama before it gains traction should surprise nobody. https://focusmalaysia.my/dap-ph-determined-to-bury-bersama-before-it-gains-ground/
In fact, the real surprise would be if PH did not do exactly that.
Political parties are not charitable organisations. They are not NGOs dedicated to nurturing competitors. They certainly do not spend years building machinery, raising funds, training volunteers and fighting elections merely to watch a former deputy president establish a rival party and politely wish him success.
If Bersama succeeds, it does not merely take votes from Perikatan Nasional or Barisan Nasional. Its natural hunting ground lies among urban, reform-minded, middle-class voters who traditionally formed the backbone of PH itself. Analysts have already warned that Bersama's appeal overlaps significantly with PH's traditional support base.
From DAP's perspective, therefore, Bersama is not a new neighbour.
It is a new tenant trying to move into the master bedroom.
One can almost imagine the strategy meetings.
Somewhere in a PH operations room, political strategists are probably looking at electoral maps with the tenderness of surgeons examining an X-ray.
“Do we allow Bersama to grow?”
Silence.
“Next question.”
The answer is obvious.
Political history is littered with examples of major parties refusing to allow splinter movements to survive their infancy. The first election is always the most dangerous. If the newcomer wins a handful of seats, attracts media attention and develops momentum, it acquires legitimacy. If it loses badly, donors disappear, volunteers vanish and members rediscover old friendships.
Politics, like boxing, is often decided in the early rounds.
Why wait until the challenger becomes Muhammad Ali when you can stop him while he is still looking for gloves?
The more interesting question is not whether PH will come after Bersama.
The interesting question is whether Rafizi possesses sufficient resources to survive the assault.
Because this is where romantic political narratives collide with brutal electoral mathematics.
Bersama may have enthusiasm.
PH possesses machinery.
Bersama may have social media.
PH possesses government incumbency.
Bersama may have idealism.
PH possesses elected representatives, party branches, campaign veterans, voter databases and coalition partners.
The difference resembles a startup challenging an established conglomerate. The startup may have brilliant ideas and passionate employees. The conglomerate owns the building, the lawyers, the accountants and half the market.
Rafizi's supporters argue that every major political movement begins as an underdog. That is true. PKR itself once began as a protest movement facing impossible odds.
But there is another side to the story.
Most splinter parties fail.
Spectacularly.
For every successful breakaway movement, there are dozens whose names survive only in the memories of political historians and retired journalists.
Yet PH should not become too comfortable.
History also contains a warning for established parties.
Many political organisations spend so much energy crushing dissidents that they forget to ask why those dissidents left in the first place.
Reuters recently reported that Bersama has attracted thousands of membership applications, including former PKR members, while dissatisfaction among sections of the reformist base continues to simmer. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/malaysia-pm-anwar-under-pressure-amid-growing-defections-his-party-2026-05-29/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Whether those numbers translate into votes remains unknown, but they indicate that the discontent is real.
That is the danger.
A party can defeat a rival organisation.
It is much harder to defeat voter disappointment.
So yes, PH will probably unleash everything it has against Bersama. DAP would be politically negligent not to defend its electoral territory. No serious political coalition willingly nurtures a competitor that threatens its own support base.
But elections are rarely won by organisational strength alone.
If Bersama is merely a vehicle for Rafizi's personal grievances, PH will bury it.
If Bersama becomes a vehicle for broader frustrations among reform-minded voters, then all the machinery in the world may only slow its advance.
The coming battle may therefore resemble an old political lesson.
The establishment usually has more resources.
The insurgent usually has more passion.
And Malaysian voters will decide whether passion can survive contact with the machinery.
Note: This week's coffee-shop intelligence gathering included equal measures of human gossip, newspaper archives and artificial intelligence. Any errors remain stubbornly human.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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