Malaysia’s opposition bloc declared invalid, but limited gains for Anwar

Malaysia’s main opposition coalition lost its registration on Tuesday, just 11 days before nominations for a state election, drawing accusations that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government is using state powers to cripple its rivals.

The decision leaves Perikatan Nasional (PN) – already fractured by a bitter dispute between its Islamist anchor, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and estranged partner Bersatu – fighting to preserve its electoral identity ahead of Melaka’s November 14 vote.

National elections are due by February 2028, although Anwar has indicated an earlier vote could be considered. Analysts identified his federal governing partner, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), as a potential beneficiary of the decision as it negotiates an electoral pact with PAS against Anwar’s own alliance in Melaka.

The Registrar of Societies found that explanations submitted by PN on October 12 failed to rebut grounds for deregistration outlined in a notice issued last month.

“The reasons given could not refute the grounds for cancellation of registration … nor provide a strong justification for maintaining the organisation’s registration,” the agency said.

Registered organisations must comply with the law and their own constitutions, it added, pledging to enforce those requirements “firmly, fairly and in accordance with the law”.

The dispute stems from a complaint by Bersatu that it was excluded from a July 16 meeting of PN’s supreme council following months of friction with PAS.

Bersatu Secretary General Azmin Ali on Tuesday blamed the PAS-led leadership for violating the coalition’s constitution by denying his party the right to participate.

“Unlawful action can cause immense harm and destroy the future of Perikatan,” he said in a statement. Azmin also accused PAS and its allies of portraying themselves as political victims to win sympathy ahead of the Melaka election.

Meanwhile, PN Secretary General Takiyuddin Hassan questioned why the registrar acted just two days before the Kuala Lumpur High Court was scheduled to hear PN’s application for a stay against the initial suspension notice.

“A government that respects the rule of law should allow the court space to decide the application, and explain why it could not wait even two days,” he said in a statement.

According to Takiyuddin, the court granted permission for a judicial review on October 13 and fixed the stay hearing for October 22, but PN’s written request for authorities to hold off pending that hearing went unanswered.

“The cancellation of PN’s registration exposes a government that is increasingly desperate and fearful of the people’s growing support for PN,” he said.

Fractured alliance

PN emerged from the political defections that brought down the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2020 and installed Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister. It was formally registered that August.

Muhyiddin resigned in August 2021 after losing his parliamentary majority. PN subsequently backed his successor, Ismail Sabri Yaakob – who belonged to Umno rather than a PN member party – before moving into opposition after the 2022 general election brought Anwar to power.

Deregistration leaves its component parties able to contest under their own banners, although they have yet to settle on a logo for Melaka, according to Takiyuddin.

PAS is pursuing cooperation with the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which remains part of Anwar’s federal administration while preparing to challenge his PH coalition at the state level.

BN Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last week insisted his coalition would defend the 21 seats it won at the previous Melaka election, leaving the remaining seven state seats open for negotiations with PN’s component parties.

For PAS and Wawasan – the party led by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin – losing PN’s banner meant surrendering a recognisable electoral identity, according to Adib Zalkapli, managing director of political consultancy Viewfinder Global Affairs.

“The Perikatan Nasional brand has been well received among Malay-Muslim voters outside the traditional PAS strongholds,” Adib said. PAS could fall back on its established name and moon symbol, while the relatively new Wawasan might have to contest under PAS or BN’s banner, he added.

“The real beneficiary is BN,” Adib said. “With PN out of the picture, BN – and especially Umno – is in a stronger position in the seat negotiation process with PAS and Wawasan.”

Aziff Azuddin, research director at Iman Research, a Kuala Lumpur-based sociopolitical think tank, was sceptical that deregistration would significantly alter the electoral equation, given that the parties could still cooperate and PAS remained a familiar name among voters.

“A pre- or post-election agreement can still happen with or without the PN vehicle,” Aziff said. “PN as a brand worked to sell the idea of a collective Malay-Muslim coalition, with Bersatu and PAS being its most prominent components. The question for the polls is whether the PAS brand is effective with Melaka voters.”

He cautioned against assuming the decision would substantially help Anwar’s coalition, given its rivalry with its own federal partner.

“We’re talking about PAS as though they are an active threat to Pakatan when Umno, their governing partner, has been the one antagonising them at the state polls,” Aziff said.