The outcome of the Johor state election on July 11 will not determine Bersatu’s political future, with the party insisting that voter behaviour in state elections differs significantly from general elections.
Bersatu Youth Information Chief Harris Idaham Rashid said the party’s past electoral performance showed that while it has faced challenges in state polls, it has consistently performed better in nationwide elections.
He dismissed claims that the Johor election would serve as a measure of Bersatu’s continued support among voters, saying the party has remained an established force in Malaysian politics for the past decade.
“Bersatu has been part of Malaysia’s political landscape for 10 years and has even produced a prime minister,” Harris was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.
He also expressed confidence that Bersatu would demonstrate its relevance in the Johor polls, adding that the party continues to enjoy support from its own loyal voter base.
Harris was responding to remarks by suspended Bersatu MP Rosol Wahid, who reportedly claimed that the party “no longer has a future”, particularly ahead of the next general election.
In the upcoming Johor election, Bersatu is contesting 16 seats under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner. The poll marks the party’s first electoral test since the end of its political cooperation with PAS.
Although PAS is also contesting under the PN coalition, fielding candidates in 11 constituencies, the Islamist party is not campaigning for Bersatu candidates despite both remaining members of the same coalition.
