THE emergence of a new political party led by Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli is expected to have a measurable impact on Pakatan Harapan (PH), particularly among its core base of urban and progressive voters, analysts say.
Political scientist Prof James Chin noted that Rafizi’s new platform, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Malaysian United Party (MUP), is likely to draw support from demographics that have traditionally backed PH component parties such as DAP and PKR.
“His core supporters are the same progressive, urban voters who previously supported DAP and PKR. Inevitably, a portion of that base will shift,” he said.
However, Chin cautioned that the scale of this shift remains uncertain.
“We do not yet know what proportion of voters will move. More clarity will emerge in the coming week, particularly as the party has made much of its ability to allow online sign-ups,” he added.
Attention is also turning to whether elected representatives will follow Rafizi into the new party. Chin expects only a limited number of defections from PKR or DAP.
“I suspect only a handful of MPs will resign outright, as many would prefer to retain their current positions.”
“However, some may choose to contest under Bersama in the next election if the party demonstrates sufficient support,” he said.
Yesterday, Rafizi and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced that they will vacate their respective parliamentary seats.
They also announced that they will leave PKR and join Parti Bersama Malaysia on Tuesday, and will inform PKR Secretary-General Datuk Fuziah Salleh through an official letter about their decision to leave PKR.
On Sunday, Rafizi and Nik Nazmi, at a press conference in Petaling Jaya, confirmed that they will take over a political party known as MUP.
Apart from the two of them, also seen at the event were several other PKR MPs, including Wong Chen (Subang), Datuk Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau), Rodziah Ismail (Ampang), Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju) and Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya).
Meanwhile, echoing similar concerns, Azmi Hassan of Nusantara Academy said Bersama’s strategy appears clearly aimed at younger, urban and semi-urban voters — a segment that overlaps significantly with PH’s support base.
“The negative impact will primarily be on PH, given the party’s modus operandi of targeting young voters in urban and suburban areas. These are traditionally PH supporters,” he said.
Azmi added that any significant movement of MPs from PKR into Bersama would further amplify the effect.
“If more PKR MPs join Rafizi’s party, it will certainly deepen the negative impact on PH. But it ultimately depends on how many choose to follow him,” he noted.
In contrast, he said other political coalitions such as Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional (BN) are unlikely to experience similar disruptions.
“For PN, the impact is minimal — neither significantly positive nor negative — because their voter base is different. The same applies to BN, whose supporters differ from PH,” he said.
With Bersama positioning itself to attract younger voters, analysts agree that its immediate effect will be felt most within PH, raising questions about vote fragmentation ahead of future electoral contests. – May 19, 2026