‘Survival tactic’: UMNO’s proposed ‘grand collaboration’ of Malay-Islamic parties is a hedging strategy, but will it work?

Separately, Nazri – the former UMNO minister – agreed with Chin’s assessment, believing that an electoral partnership with its unity government coalition members, particularly PH, was a given. 

“UMNO can’t go through GE16 similar to GE15. There is a need to have some form of understanding with its unity government partners to ensure there are only two-cornered fights instead of three-cornered fights,” he said, adding that the party would be lucky if it were to win 40 federal seats in the next general election. 

UMNO won 26 seats at GE15, its worst-ever performance at a general election. It won 54 seats in the 2018 election and 89 in the 2013 election.

Nazri, however, does not think that the “grand collaboration” will take off, saying that while the idea of “Malay unity” sounded good, it was merely rhetoric and a tough sell in reality.  

“Let’s just say we work with PAS and Bersatu, and the formula will be based on the incumbent contesting the seat. 

“That means UMNO has to close in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis. What’s the point of being a political party if you can’t contest (in an election)?,” he told CNA, referring to the principle of contesting seats previously won as the main basis for seat allocation in political cooperation. 

UMNO, which is the oldest political party in Malaysia, lost its 61-year hold on government when it was voted out of power in favour of the PH coalition – then led by Mahathir Mohamed – during the 14th General Election in 2018.

The party, which ruled Malaysia as the anchor party of the BN coalition since the country’s independence, lost power on the back of widespread public anger over the scandal at state-owned investment vehicle 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

The 1MDB scandal subsequently led to the conviction and jailing of Najib for corruption.