Bersatu has to lead Pakatan Harapan to win Malay votes and ensure a change of government in the coming polls, new party recruit Wan Saiful Wan Jan said today.

Only by doing so, he claimed, could Harapan hope to counter the identity politics long played up by the ruling coalition.

"If one really believes that there should be a change in the government, then one cannot run away from making sure Bersatu leads the coalition," he said at the "Trends in the Malay electorate: The urban Malay" forum.

"We have to build this on reality. I don't know what the ideal is – be it PKR to lead, DAP to lead or Amanah to lead. Whatever it is, it is not going to sell.

Read more: Grilled over Malay agenda, Wan Saiful emphasises change comes slowly

"Why there is still distrust despite the successes in Selangor and Penang?

“I think this is because of the narrative or rhetoric that Penang (is dominated by) the Chinese, while in Selangor, both DAP and PKR are liberal and plural.

Wan Saiful, formerly of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), said that Malays need to move away from such a narrative.

Elaborating further, the Bersatu policy and strategy deputy chief said that while urban Malays believed that Harapan was led by Chinese-majority DAP, rural Malays and Felda settlers were fearful of the Chinese Malaysian community threatening their way of life.

Since its formation, a number of Umno leaders have accused the party of leading Harapan behind the scenes – most notably Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who said DAP would rule if BN loses in GE14.

"I watch the pieces of the game and see that if the opposition wins, DAP will rule. Not PKR, not Amanah, and not the 'flower party' (Bersatu)," Najib said last year.

On the fence

In tonight’s forum, Wan Saiful also singled out for blame the more rational Malay leaders who remained silent and "nonpartisan" in the face of such a narrative.

"We have not moved out of this widespread identity politics narrative because critical-thinking Malays have not taken a stand.

"They prefer to be so-called ‘nonpartisan’, they are shying away from saying what they believe in. I know and have met many of them.

"Malay society is a society that believes in and respects leaders and the elders, when they do not speak up, the rest will simply follow those who do," he said.

Wan Saiful said Harapan will address this racial narrative in its election manifesto, which is slated to be unveiled on Thursday night.