Keberkesanan Strategi Perikatan Nasional dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 di Semenanjung Malaysia: Penonjolan Golongan Islamis (The Effectiveness of Perikatan Nasional’s strategy in the 15th General Election of Peninsular Malaysia: The Prominence of Islamists)

Abstract

The 15th General Election (PRU-15) witnessed, for the first time, a hung parliament, and a significant wave of rejection against the Barisan Nasional, coupled with a remarkable increase in support for the Perikatan Nasional, particularly PAS. In contrast, the parliamentary seats for the Pakatan Harapan saw a slight reduction compared to the previous 14th General Election (PRU-14). Therefore, the purpose of this article is to analyze the prominence of Islamists in PRU-15, considering the notable increase in PAS parliamentary seats. The article also focuses on the effectiveness of Perikatan Nasional’s strategies in garnering electoral support. Grounded in the concept of Islamism, the article discusses the emergence of radical Islamists during the PRU-15 campaign period. The concept of party identification is used to discuss the control of three states by Perikatan Nasional in the 2023 State Elections. This study also utilizes a quantitative approach, namely through the analysis of data from the 15th General Election (PRU-15) results for parliamentary and State Legislative Assembly seats, including the 2023 State Elections (PRN 6) in Peninsular Malaysia. Additionally, qualitative methods are employed through secondary sources. The analysis is descriptive, involving a combination of quantitative and qualitative data sets. The study’s findings indicate that each political coalition, such as PH, PN, and BN, has its Islamic factions. However, in PRU-15, the PN strategy proved more effective and was accepted in areas with a majority of Malay voters, giving an advantage to the PASPN Islamic alliance, securing forty-nine parliamentary seats. Among the strategies employed by PN were an emphasis on religious and ethnic narratives, effective social media campaigns, and maximal engagement in religious and ethnic campaigns. In conclusion, identity politics anchored in religious and ethnic narratives remains relevant in the Malaysian political landscape.