Muhyiddin Fights for Relevance Through Loose Opposition Bloc

But ex-PM Faces Dissent and Coalition Is Dismissed as Largely Symbolic

- Lu Wei Hoong

KUALA LUMPUR - Denied another chance to lead the federal government and quickly losing relevance as the opposition, former ruling Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia recently proposed a loose coalition to unite 12 parties currently not in the government.

With party president Muhyiddin Yassin on shaky political ground of late, the loose pact has been dismissed as largely symbolic as most of the groups involved have little electoral weight, observers say.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin, who is also chairman of the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance - whose leading members are Malay-based Bersatu and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) - has said the loose coalition would focus on pressing concerns faced by the public such as rising living costs, which the current Anwar administration has failed to address.

Political scientist Professor Wong Chin Huat called it a "decorative" move by PN to portray itself as a multi-ethnic coalition to rival Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government, raising questions over its viability as Malaysia's main opposition force.

"The PN's 'big tent' in 2025 includes parties that are insignificant or little known... The idea is (merely) decorative, to show that PN is multi-ethnic in order to allay fears among non-Muslims and their determination to vote against PN," the Sunway University professor told The Straits Times.

The so-called "big tent" idea was mooted ahead of Bersatu's annual general assembly in September.