Gerakan’s relevance to non-Malay voters debatable, says analyst

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PETALING JAYA: An analyst says Gerakan’s political relevance depends entirely on its alliance with Perikatan Nasional (PN), following claims by the party president of an increase in support since joining the opposition coalition.

James Chin of the University of Tasmania said the uptick in votes for Gerakan was largely due to the support of Bersatu and PAS rather than a direct appeal to non-Malay voters.

“The votes that go towards Gerakan primarily stem from Malay voters who support PAS and Bersatu, not necessarily from the non-Malay community,” he told FMT.

Gerakan president Dominic Lau recently said that his party remained relevant in Malaysia’s political landscape, citing an increase in the number of votes received at recent elections.

However, Chin said Gerakan’s role was mainly to provide a semblance of diversity for PN.

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