Malaysia opposition parties still in a tussle over brand name

MALAYSIA: Perikatan Nasional (PN) emerged as a formidable force in Malaysia’s last general election, winning only slightly fewer seats than Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH).

However, its future now hangs in the balance, with two powerful blocs still locked in a struggle for control.

It is expected that PN will hold a vote on which party owns the brand, and it appears that Bersatu might still win the challenge, unless there is yet another round of betrayal in the opposition alliance.

PN has a Supreme Council that serves as its highest decision-making body, where key decisions and votes are deliberated among its component parties.

The parties that make up the council and hold voting power are:

• PAS (Islamic Party)

• Bersatu (Malaysian United Indigenous Party)

• Gerakan (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia)

• MIPP (Malaysian Indian People’s Party)

Top leaders from each of these four parties—including their presidents and designated representatives—sit on the Supreme Council and participate in coalition governance.

Reports say PN was formed by Bersatu and PAS in 2020. But both parties are at loggerheads, stating they are the founders.

It also appears that Pas is now taken aback by Bersatu’s claims that it owns PN, as it might have expected former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to give up on the coalition and brand.

Muhyiddin formed the Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR), another loose opposition alliance spearheaded by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Formed in October 2025, it unites 11 opposition parties—including Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Pejuang (Homeland Fighter’s Party), and MUDA (Malaysian United Democratic Alliance)—to advocate for public issues and provide a unified political platform.

PAS would have counted on Bersatu to move on from PN and strengthen IPR, but since it is not the case, PAS now has to wait for a formal vote within PN to know if it still holds sway with the non-Malay parties in PN.

There is no indication that MIPP or Gerakan will back PAS or Bersatu, but it is obvious that the two parties now hold sway in the coalition and could be the king-makers in PN.

There are also rumours that they may back Bersatu, a more liberal Malay-based party compared to PAS, seen at times by non-Malay voters as too extreme.