‘Muafakat 2.0’ taking shape in Johor, says analyst

The Johor election could serve as a referendum on Umno-PAS cooperation, especially in Chinese-majority and mixed constituencies, says an analyst.

PETALING JAYA: PAS’s open call for supporters to back Barisan Nasional in seats not contested by Perikatan Nasional has turned the Johor state election into a test case for a “Muafakat Nasional 2.0 Plus” partnership, a political scientist said.

Wong Chin Huat.

Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University said the move made the election less about BN contesting alone and more about whether voters were prepared to accept an informal Umno-PAS alignment.

“Johor Umno’s preferred partner is PAS. It’s MN 2.0 without the name,” he told FMT.

Wong said Johor BN chief Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s earlier vow to reject DAP as a government partner now appeared clearer in its political context, as it suggests the state chapter was more comfortable with PAS than with its federal partners.

Wong said the Johor election could now serve as a “referendum” on Umno-PAS cooperation, particularly in Chinese-majority and mixed constituencies where Pakatan Harapan is expected to frame itself as the main alternative.

He said if the gamble succeeded, BN and PAS could eventually formalise their electoral pact, much like PKR, PAS and DAP did after the 2008 general election.

Last month, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the Johor polls were the right time to revive the now-defunct MN alliance with Umno, citing the need for cooperation between the two largest Malay-Muslim parties.

On June 28, Tuan Ibrahim called for all PAS members and supporters to vote for Umno and BN candidates in Johor state constituencies where PN is not contesting.

Wong described the Islamic party’s mobilisation of its supporters to vote for Umno-BN candidates as a “double-edged sword”.

“It may draw more Malay nationalist votes to BN but may also chase away non-Malay and liberal votes,” he said.

A Johor Pakatan Harapan leader, who requested anonymity, said the majority of Chinese voters were backing PH because they were concerned about PAS’s influence potentially growing in the state.

“PAS has asked its supporters to vote for BN, not because it supports BN, but to deny us votes,” he said.

“What kind of politics is PAS playing?” he asked, adding that voters should not accept such divisive politics.

A BN member, who did not wish to be identified, however said some Chinese voters had recognised the work MCA had put in over the past few years.

“We have been helping them. We have good machinery. And we are aligned with Johor Umno to help them out,” she said, adding that MCA was going all out to secure Chinese support.