Small Party in Malaysia's Ruling Coalition Faces Major Challenge

Moderate Islamic party Amanah struggling to gain the support of Muslims, says expert

- Hazlin Hassan

KUALA LUMPUR - A small party in Malaysia's governing coalition, which has the huge task of corralling Malay-Muslim voters, is facing an uphill climb to maintain its relevance in the country's crowded political field.

Parti Amanah Negara, with just eight seats in Parliament, is a moderate Islamic party within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance.

But Amanah's voice is hardly heard in the rowdy tumble of Malaysian politics, where hot issues over race and religion are regularly played up to megaphone levels.

Formed in 2015 by dissidents of conservative Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), Amanah has continued to take a middle-of-the-road stance on Islamic and sensitive Malay issues, which has failed to excite the Malay electorate.

"After 10 years in operation and being part of the federal government twice, Amanah's performance has been quite static," Dr Mohd Yusri Ibrahim, a policy studies lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, told The Straits Times.

He said many Malay-Muslim voters are more drawn to parties that emphasise strong support for Islam and the special privileges of Malays. Amanah has tried to move forward by touting a progressive Islamic agenda, but this "has failed to gain the support of Muslims", he added.