Last week, Harapan set up a committee of second echelon leaders - vested in the future of the coalition - to review the matter, along with the request for collaboration by PSM. That came after a public wave of Muda-bashing and unnecessary vitriol, particularly from PKR supporters.

The opposition’s pattern of airing differences in public has reinforced views that the opposition coalition cannot work together and continues to grapple with internal infighting.   In the past week, cooler sentiments have emerged as Harapan works to resolve its differences in the committee. A constructive resolution to this matter will shape Harapan’s electoral fortunes.

Moving beyond emotions

To date, public sentiment has largely been against the inclusion of Muda in Harapan. Arguments against its inclusion have rested on personal attacks of leaders, employed “lacking experience” ageist Baby Boomer “anti-youth” discriminatory outlooks, or wild speculations about the possible future behaviour of Muda.

Many of these views have been clouded by emotion, including PKR’s own trauma as a party wrestling to manage its past conflicts and experience of being betrayed by its own. PKR continues to equate Muda with its troubled relationship with Dr Mahathir Mohamad, bringing the trauma of the past into the present.

Moreover, Muda’s expansion and multi-ethnic composition have been seen as a direct challenge to PKR, not helped by the open competition between the two parties in the seat of Larkin in the Johor polls. PKR fears further political displacement. Despite openness to closer cooperation by many Harapan leaders, particularly in DAP and Amanah, resentment of Muda extends across the coalition as youth in all of Harapan’s parties wrestle with inadequate support and space.

Harapan's younger leaders continue to be weighed down by senior leaders refusing to make way for needed generational change – one of the reasons for the rise of Muda in the first place. What has been missing from the discussion to date is an in-depth look at the performance of the two parties in the recent Johor polls.

This piece addresses this deficit, moving the discussion away from emotions and speculation to data and reflection. Drawing from the results of the Johor 2022 state election at the polling station levels and focus groups in Johor, this analysis of voting behaviour shows Muda outperformed PKR in garnering political support in Johor, and, contrary to most positions taken so far, brings to the table value to strengthening Harapan.