Rafizi Ramli spent years as one of Anwar Ibrahim's most prominent ministers before resigning from the federal government last year over a bitter internal party dispute. Now his new outfit, Bersama, is making its first real test at the ballot box, and it chose to do it the hard way, going solo in Johor rather than seeking a coalition deal with anyone.
Bersama was formed by Rafizi and former environment minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad after both resigned from Anwar's government in May 2025 following a contentious PKR internal election, and the party has explicitly rejected coalition talks for this contest, choosing instead to position itself as a fresh alternative untethered to the baggage of the existing coalitions. Nobody expects Bersama to win a majority of seats, but that was never really the point of this run.
The real question is whether a small new party can peel off enough urban and younger voters to matter in tight races, even without winning outright. Under Malaysia's first-past-the-post system, even a modest vote share for a new entrant like Bersama can swing the outcome in closely contested constituencies, which is exactly why the established parties are watching this experiment closely rather than dismissing it outright.
There is also a longer game here, and Bersama's early campaign has already shown how tricky courting non-Malay voters can be. When Bersama's Perling candidate Boo Wei Han questioned restrictions on pig farming at a campaign event, Rafizi publicly defended him, arguing that raising an issue close to some Chinese voters' hearts was part of representing every constituent, even as the remarks drew mockery from conservative critics. It is a small episode, but it captures the tightrope Bersama is walking, trying to look bold enough to attract disillusioned voters without becoming an easy target for its rivals. Whether this Johor outing ends in a handful of seats or a wipeout, it will shape how seriously Bersama is taken heading into the general election that must be called before early 2028.
My Opinion
I respect the gamble here even if I think it is a long shot. Going solo instead of chasing a coalition deal takes some guts, especially when everyone knows you are probably not winning big this round. But this is also very Malaysian politics, where a party's first electoral outing is less about winning and more about proving you exist and can hold a message. If Bersama can walk away from Johor with even three or four seats and a clear identity, that is a win in disguise. If they get wiped out completely, though, this whole solo run is going to look like ego over strategy.
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