2022 Malaysian general elections

No permanent friends… or enemies

In the 2018 general election, Pakatan Harapan scored an upset, deposing BN at the federal level and in five states.

GE14

Some of the 13 BN component parties decided to part ways. Only Umno, MCA, MIC - the three founding members of BN - and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) remained.

Disintegration of BN

Former Sarawak BN component parties formed Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). They chose to be in the opposition.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak

Although Umno was in the BN coalition, the party also sought an alliance with fellow opposition party PAS. By 2019, Umno and PAS signed the Muafakat Nasional charter, aimed at creating a starting point toward an electoral pact.

Muafakat Nasional

After Muafakat Nasional was formed, BN went on to win all four by-elections it participated in.

In 2020, Bersatu, together with 10 MPs from PKR, withdrew from Pakatan Harapan to form a new government with everyone in the opposition. This event was known as the “Sheraton Move” because of the eponymous dinner venue to mark the new arrangement.

Sheraton Move

Some of the new governing parties formed the Perikatan Nasional coalition. Bersatu and PAS are the two main components parties, alongside Gerakan, Star and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

Perikatan Nasional

Not all Bersatu MPs agreed with the “Sheraton Move”. Some formed new parties Muda and Pejuang. Another group of MPs formed PBM. Warisan begins to drift away from Harapan.

New parties emerge

For the upcoming general election, there will be three major coalitions - BN, Pakatan Harapan and PN - at the national level. There are other state-level coalitions known as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Three main players

Although BN and PN are rivals in the peninsula, they are allies in Sabah. PN is part of a coalition with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno). This “local coalition” is called Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). Their goal is to compete against Warisan and Harapan.

No permanent friends… or enemies

Credits