However, the alliance would not be able to wrest Putrajaya from the Barisan Nasional without the support of Islamist party PAS, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak political analyst Associate Professor Jeniri Amir said.
He said if PAS were to go it alone, it would lead to multi-cornered fights, and that would undoubtedly benefit the BN.
He was commenting on reports that a new opposition political party, possibly led by Mahathir, is to be announced soon.
“Umno should not underestimate Mahathir, this (the new party) will be a force to be reckoned with, especially if they can take BN on in a straight fight.”
He said the recent Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections were not an indicator of the combined strength of Mahathir and Pakatan Rakyat, as a by-election and a general election were two completely different situations altogether.
Jeniri felt, however, that Mahathir and those in his camp would have been better off joining one of the three Pakatan Harapan component parties.
“It is not easy for a new party to establish itself, more so in a short span of time before GE14.
“People are going to question the motive and credibility of the party. They will ask why this bunch of former Umno leaders are starting a new party only after they are out of Umno,” he said, adding some would see this as a personal agenda more than anything else.
Political scientist Wong Chin Huat, while agreeing the new party might strengthen the Opposition, disagreed that it would be better for Mahathir and his supporters to join one of the PH parties.
Wong, of the Penang Institute, said setting up a new party was the right move for Mahathir and the other Umno rebels.
“It would have been very difficult for them to join any of the Pakatan Harapan parties. There would be little synergy, as DAP is too different, Amanah is too new, while PKR would be too much of a step down for Mahathir.”
He felt that Mahathir should have formed a new party much earlier, before the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections and fielded his son Mukhriz Mahathir in Kuala Kangsar.
He said that at present, it was not certain how much support this new party could get from Kedah and Johor, the home base of former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, as the sentiment on the ground would have had time to cool off.
“However, they can definitely count on some support within Sabah, the home state of former Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal.”
Mahathir, Mukhriz, Muhyiddin and Shafie have been vocal critics of Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Government he leads.
“I think the main question is what will the party’s model be,” he said, noting it would be the fifth Umno splinter party after the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP), Parti Negara, Semangat 46 and PKR.
He said IMP and PKR were multi-racial in nature, while Parti Negara and Semangat 46 were Malay-centric.
“I think Mahathir’s new party will most likely be a multi-ethnic party,” he said.
Yesterday, former Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan, a strong Mahathir supporter said Mahathir might form a party which will cooperate with Pakatan Harapan in the next General Election.