KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) biggest challenge in the upcoming Melaka state election may not be its campaign machinery, but whether voters can identify its candidates without the coalition’s familiar logo, political analysts say.
The Registrar of Societies’ (RoS) suspension of PN activities has raised questions about how the coalition will prepare for the election, including its campaign strategy, candidate selection and use of the PN symbol.
Analysts said the suspension was unlikely to seriously disrupt PN’s grassroots operations, particularly those of PAS, but could create difficulties for smaller component parties that depend more heavily on the coalition’s branding.
Political analyst and geostrategist Professor Dr Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS should have little difficulty contesting under its own logo, while smaller allies such as Parti Wawasan could face a tougher task.
“PAS itself should not face any problem using its own logo, but for PN allies such as Wawasan, it is going to be a huge problem because the logo is unfamiliar to voters in Melaka,” he told Scoop.
Azmi said the suspension should not substantially hinder campaigning, as PN’s component parties could continue working together on the ground.
“In terms of campaigning, there should not be any problem, except for the usage of the logo. The biggest political challenge for PN will be the logo itself,” he added.
He said PAS, Wawasan and other component parties could still support each other during the campaign, but the absence of the PN symbol could become more significant on polling day.
“When it comes to the ballot paper, the PN logo is not there. That is a problem for parties allied to PN, such as Wawasan, Gerakan or MIPP,” he said.
Assistant Professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia, Dr Lau Zhe Wei, similarly said the suspension was unlikely to have a major impact on PN’s election machinery, given PAS’s position as the coalition’s strongest component.
“The suspension would not affect seat allocations because seat negotiations are a practical issue rather than an on-paper issue,” he said.
Lau said the main question was whether PN candidates would contest under their respective party symbols or adopt a common logo.
“The biggest issue will be whether they use their own party logos or have a unified logo, for example using the PAS logo or another party logo for all candidates,” he added.
He said Gerakan could be particularly affected if it could not contest under the PN symbol.
“Even with the PN logo, Gerakan faces difficulties. Using another party logo or its own logo may make things more challenging,” he explained.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Dr Mazlan Ali said the suspension could have the greatest impact on PAS and smaller component parties such as Gerakan and MIPP, which may have to contest using different symbols.
“PAS, Gerakan and MIPP would have to use one of these party symbols. PAS can use its own symbol, but outside the SG4 states, that may not be strategically advantageous because the symbol faces resistance among some voters,” he said.
Mazlan said using different symbols could make it harder for smaller parties to establish their identities with voters.
“Voters may become confused and find it difficult to decide which party to support if PAS, Gerakan and MIPP contest using different symbols,” he added.
He said seat negotiations and candidate selection were unlikely to present major obstacles, but the campaign could become more challenging without the PN brand.
“Negotiations with other parties and candidate selection are not difficult. However, the campaign period and introducing candidates to voters will be challenging because the popular PN brand cannot be used,” he said.
Mazlan added that component parties might need additional time, resources and manpower if they were required to campaign under separate identities.
“Confusion will arise, campaign coordination could be disrupted, and PN parties may become more fragmented in their campaigning efforts,” he explained.
RoS suspended PN’s activities on September 23 after issuing a notice requiring the coalition to explain complaints lodged by Bersatu over alleged breaches of the coalition’s constitution.
The suspension comes as political parties prepare for the Melaka state election, with uncertainty remaining over whether PN can resolve the matter before nomination day.
For now, the analysts said PN’s grassroots machinery remained largely intact, but the absence of its recognisable logo could prove a significant challenge when voters cast their ballots. – September 27, 2026