They say coalition leader Bersatu is “weak” compared to fellow component PAS.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Bersatu had to deal with members who were defecting to Umno.

Last year, two Pahang Bersatu leaders left the party for Umno while in February 32 members rejoined Umno.

“Members are losing hope in Bersatu’s capability to recapture Putrajaya and the states that they once administered,” he told FMT referring to PN’s losses in state polls in Melaka and Johor.

Azmi said only PAS would be able to retain its eight seats. PN only has one parliamentary seat in Pahang, Indera Mahkota, which is represented by Saifuddin Abdullah, state PN chairman and foreign minister.

He said PN would be going up against a united Umno and Barisan Nasional. “It will be a tall order for PN.”

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said PAS would win eight or more seats, especially in rural and conservative areas.

Oh said Saifuddin’s election target was “grossly unrealistic” given Bersatu’s current state. “The target is merely a rallying call for Bersatu members before going into a fight.”

Both Oh and Azmi also said fellow component Gerakan would not be able to contribute anything to the coalition.

Unlike MCA and MIC which could rely on Umno supporters backing them, Gerakan could not depend on a “weak” Bersatu for help, Azmi said.

Oh said Gerakan president Dominic Lau’s dream of helping PN remained just that, a dream.

Saifuddin had claimed yesterday that the coalition had a good chance of performing well in the next general election and increasing its seats in the state as it planned to contest all 14 parliamentary seats and 42 state seats.