00:00Bersatu cannot continue to rely on protest votes from UMNO supporters
00:06if it wishes to remain relevant in national politics, says an analyst.
00:12Azmi Hassan of Academy Nusantara said that a major reason for Bersatu's survival
00:17is the support given by dissatisfied or disgruntled former UMNO members and leaders.
00:24However, he said UMNO is regaining its strength with the support of Malay voters.
00:30Showing that it is willing to adjust its strategies while Bersatu is doing the opposite.
00:36He cited UMNO's decision to dissuade DAP from campaigning in the Nanggiri by-election,
00:42which boosted its image and led to Barisan National's Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani winning
00:47by a 2,802-vote majority over Perikatan National's Rizwadi Ismail.
00:54On Tuesday, former UMNO Information Chief Sheryl Hamdan
00:57said Bersatu's biggest failure is its reliance on protest votes from UMNO supporters,
01:03adding that while these votes were significant at the general election
01:06and the state assembly elections, the party has not evolved since.
01:11Meanwhile, analyst Asrul Hadi Abdul Lasani said Bersatu needed fresh ideas and young leaders,
01:18not recycled, failed UMNO grassroots leaders.
01:22Asrul said Bersatu must consider becoming a Malay-dominated multicultural party like PKR
01:28to remain relevant, saying the party must begin to set itself apart from PAS
01:33or risk being overshadowed in PN.
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