KUALA LUMPUR — Parti Bersama Malaysia (PBM) is likely to split votes for Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the 16th General Election (GE16), analysts said, adding that it is in for a big struggle without a strong electoral partner.
The party that former PKR leaders Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will take over after quitting PKR and vacating their parliamentary seats will probably attract mostly urban voters and young professionals, but this would not be enough to convert into electoral victories, said socio-political analyst Datuk Professor Awang Azman Awang Pawi.
Datuk Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya Academy of Malay Studies, said urban voters can be a pragmatic lot, even if they are dissatisfied with PH.
“They will ask: can PBM actually win, or will it simply split the PH vote?” he told Scoop.
By becoming a disruptive force in urban and mixed constituencies, Perikatan Nasional (PN) could potentially benefit, he added.
“The greatest risk is not that PBM replaces PH, but that PBM weakens PH in seats won by moderate or small margins,” he said.
Malaysian geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan had similar views, noting that PBM’s target demographic would overlap with PH’s traditional urban and reform-minded voter base.
“What Bersama is offering is already what PH and sometimes Barisan Nasional is offering,” he told Scoop.
Both he and Awang Azman agreed that PBM will find it tough to survive in Malaysia’s political landscape which still heavily favours established coalitions with strong grassroots machinery and financial backing.
“PBM would struggle to function as a fully independent party without a coalition because Malaysian politics is still heavily influenced by the first-past-the-post system, grassroots machinery, financial resources, campaign logistics, and seat negotiations,” Awang Azman said.
And although Rafizi and Nik Nazmi have their own appeal, Azmi said Malaysia’s political landscape still revolves around party structures rather than individual personalities, making it difficult for new parties to compete alone.
“There'll be a lot of trouble for Bersama since the political scenario in Malaysia is currently more based on party, rather than the characteristic of an individual politician,” he said.
Geoffrey Williams of Williams Business Consultancy also flagged PBM’s weak electoral prospects, even if it can function as an independent party.
“Its voter base will be small to begin with,” he said, noting that support would likely come from voters who are personally loyal to Rafizi and those disillusioned with PH but unwilling to support Barisan Nasional (BN) or PN.
Williams added that PBM appears unprepared for an early election and is unlikely to significantly
reshape Malaysia’s political landscape in the short-term.
“If there is a snap election, PBM will not disrupt the political landscape because it is not ready for a general election. At best they will fight for their existing seats.”
“Even then it is not likely they will win any seats against the national parties’ machinery,” he said.
Rafizi and Nik Nazmi on Monday (May 18) submitted their resignation letters as Pandan and Setiawangsa MPs, respectively, to the Dewan Raykat Speaker’s Office.
They announced their intention to quit PKR and vacate their seats, as well as to join PBM, at a special gathering on May 17.
Under Malaysia’s election laws, a by-election is not necessary if the vacancy arises less than two years before Parliament’s five-year mandate expires.
The current Parliament’s term is until December 2027, and GE16 must be called in February 2028, at the latest. - May 20, 2026
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