A senior researcher today said that issues surrounding race and religion would continue to be a part of Malaysia's political outlook ahead of the next 14th general elections.

Center for Strategic Engagement director Rita Sim told a forum in Kuala Lumpur that this was partly attributed to Malaysia's Bumiputera-majority demographics and the dynamics between four major Malay-based parties on both sides of the political divide.

At present, she said there are some 4.2 million unregistered voters, out of which some 65 percent are estimated to be Malays.

"Going forward to 2020, in the voting demographic, about to 56 or 57 percent are estimated to be Malay (Bumiputera) voters and the balance are non-Malays.

"So while we may want to see multi-racial Malaysia, I am afraid moving forward to GE14, there could be a lot of fight over race and religion," she said during the panel session held as a part of Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute's 19th Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference 2017.

"We don't like that but it could be happening," she added.

Sim said this in response to a question from the floor on whether race and religion would remain relevant in Malaysian politics, in the context of prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's 30-year national transformation plan or TN50.

Commenting further, Sim highlighted as an example, the possible alliance between Umno and PAS using race and religion as a uniting force.

"I think Pas and Umno alliance using RUU355 as a uniting force is very real. And this is coming up on Feb 18," she said in reference to PAS' upcoming rally in support of its proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act.

The government is expected to take over the Amendment Bill first tabled by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Umno had said it was open to discuss participation in the rally.

Sim also pointed out that Feb 18 would be three days after Jakarta's governor elections which have been marked by racially charged sentiments against non-active governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

"What plays out in Indonesia will also have an impact in Malaysia as it happened in 1998," said Sim who alluded to political instabilities which triggered Indonesia's 1998 racial riots against the Chinese community.

"Actually (former premier) Mahathir (Mohamad) came back to power (in 1999 general elections) with Chinese votes, out of the 'fear factor' that kicked in, when in Indonesia there were Chinese killings," she said.

As such, Sim also said all parties should not underestimate the political impact of Ahok's ongoing blasphemy trial and the backlash which could again strike fear of racial tensions here.

Ahok was accused of insulting the Quran during one of his campaign trail in Pulau Seribu, an island of Jakarta, last November.

The panel titled "The Political Outlook and Changing Political Landscape in 2017: Consolidation or Uncertainty?" also featured Center for Public Policy Studies senior director Ng Yeen Seen and DAP Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming.