10-3-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) In a bold move that has ignited political tensions in Malaysia, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition coalition has called for six parliamentary seats and one Selangor state assembly seat to be declared vacant. This demand comes in the wake of representatives from the coalition switching their allegiance to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
On March 9, PN’s chairman, Muhyiddin Yassin, challenged Datuk Seri Anwar to hold by-elections for these seats, expressing confidence that the coalition could easily reclaim the Malay-majority constituencies. “If you dare, declare six parliamentary seats and one Selangor state assembly seat vacant. We return the mandate to the people and let the people do the maths,” he declared at the PN MPs and Assemblymen Convention 2024.
Muhyiddin’s defiant statement was accompanied by a veiled warning, “I don’t want to boast, but I am confident, God willing, PN will win even more votes if by-elections are held.”
The defectors in question all hail from Muhyiddin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). Among them is Selangor’s Selat Klang assemblyman Abdul Rashid Asari, while the remaining six are Members of Parliament: Datuk Zulkafperi Hanapi, Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Mr Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, Mr Zahari Kechik, and Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman.
Bersatu has been grappling with a crisis since 2023, when the defectors declared their support for Anwar’s unity government. The latest defection occurred on March 6 when Abdul Rashid voiced his backing for Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari, a member of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
In a clear sign of the rift within Bersatu, Razali Idris, the party’s information chief, stated that the seven representatives who opted to back the Malaysian government were not invited to the convention. “We consider the representatives of the seven seats dead. Just wait for the elections. Why do we need to invite them?” he remarked.
PN’s secretary-general, Hamzah Zainuddin, viewed the defections as a “silver lining,” allowing the coalition to discern who truly supports its cause and remains loyal.
On March 2, Bersatu held an extraordinary general meeting to stem the tide of defections, deciding that the membership of any MPs or assemblymen expressing support for rival parties would be immediately revoked.
Responding to Muhyiddin’s challenge, Anwar addressed a press conference on March 9, asserting that the onus to vacate the seats lies with the assemblyman and six MPs, not his administration. He further pointed out Muhyiddin’s expertise in party-hopping, referring to the 2020 Sheraton Move when Bersatu, under Muhyiddin’s leadership, left the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, effectively triggering the collapse of the government.
Currently, Anwar’s unity government commands 153 out of the 222 parliamentary seats, granting him a supermajority in the Lower House as he enjoys the confidence of more than two-thirds of the elected representatives. This two-thirds majority allows the prime minister to push through constitutional amendments.
However, since the contested seats have a Malay majority, losing these constituencies could reflect the community’s continued dissatisfaction with the current administration. PH suffered a resounding defeat in the Malay-belt states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah in the six state elections held in August 2023, winning only a handful of seats.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun commented, “Well, those were originally Bersatu seats, so losses on the PH side could be explained away as such. It is unrealistic to expect the government to absolutely prevail in these seats, given the state elections results.”
