Commentary: How Najib Razak's verdict complicates Malaysia’s game of thrones

While Perikatan Nasional appeals squarely to Malay voters in the Malayan Peninsula’s rural heartland, Muhyiddin is not insensitive to the need to appeal to urbanites.

Malaysians politicians from Perikatan Nasional with King Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. PAS and the current UMNO leadership are pushing hard for early elections, flush with confidence that their Malay and Islamic credentials, as well as Malaysia’s electoral maths, will help them clinch a victory.

Many of the other Bersatu MPs ran in UMNO territory and won relatively small majorities. Bersatu’s grassroots support network is weak – and should they compete with UMNO directly, they may well lose. Even if Perikatan Nasional competes as one entity in the next election and wins, it is quite likely that Muhyiddin’s position within the coalition will be weakened.

Zahid’s faction would prefer to go for snap elections before the end of the trial, while he still leads the party. Flush with a stronger mandate, UMNO under his leadership would be in a stronger position and, potentially, able to exert pressure on the judiciary. Another option would be for Muhyiddin and his Bersatu faction to join UMNO. This has the virtue of avoiding many of the potential traps inherent in the current Perikatan Nasional structure.

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