The idea was floated on social media yesterday by former minister Zaid Ibrahim, who said such a marriage would replicate PH’s winning formula in 2018 when they were led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s PPBM, which brought influential Malay leadership to the bloc.
Tunku Mohar Mokhtar of International Islamic University Malaysia said this would be a “pragmatic solution” for both groups, given that neither the present opposition nor the government would likely be able to command a strong majority in the polls.
“Therefore, a new alignment may be the way forward,” he told FMT. “PH needs a strong Malay presence. Barisan Nasional (of which Umno is a member) needs significant non-Malay representation.
“A coalition of the two looks like a winning formula, at least on paper.”
Tunku Mohar said it would solve their most pressing needs – PH’s lack of a strong Malay presence and Umno’s apparent dissatisfaction with PPBM.
“What is left now is for the two sides to find some common denominators that can facilitate the creation of a new political alignment or coalition,” he said.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said while such a move would allow a new coalition to cover its bases among voter demographics, “they would have to internally convince their respective party detractors, who are ideologically miles apart, to work together”.
He said there would be major challenges to be faced by both PH and Umno should this come to pass as there was a risk of history repeating itself.
Oh said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim would risk ceding his position and ending up in a situation similar to the one he faced with Mahathir.
“This is because Umno is likely to win many more seats than PKR and an Umno leader is likely to be PM instead of Anwar. Such a leader would understandably try to block Anwar, like Dr Mahathir did.”
He said this could particularly be an issue given Umno’s experience under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
“The present bitter ruling lesson for Umno, namely with Muhyiddin as leader of a lesser party lording over it by dint of his position as prime minister, would harden its resolve to never play second fiddle in a ruling coalition again,” he said.