Logo switch unlikely to hurt PN support, analysts say

Perikatan Nasional's (PN) move to change its logo even as talk heats up about the 15th general election (GE15) is unlikely to affect its support at the polls, analysts say. 

Hisommudin Bakar of electoral think tank Ilham Centre acknowledged the importance of a party's logo in influencing voter decisions. 

Speaking to MalaysiaNow, though, he said PN could rely on the grassroots support of its ally, Islamist party PAS. 

"PAS voters can accept any decision to use whichever logo the party decides on," he said.

"They will fall in line. Look what happened at the Cameron Highlands by-election," he added, referring to the 2019 polls. 

"That was the first time PAS asked its voters to choose Barisan Nasional's (BN) 'dacing' symbol, and the results clearly showed that they gave their votes to BN." 

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin recently said that the pact would introduce a new logo for the general election to come. 

PAS meanwhile said PN wanted to use a new symbol and colours to prevent any confusion with BN. 

PN is the latest coalition to face issues regarding its use of a particular logo for elections. 

Opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) found itself in a similar situation in March, when its lynchpin party PKR decided to contest the Johor election under its own banner instead of the coalition's. 

PKR nevertheless performed poorly, capping a string of election defeats at the state level. 

BN meanwhile struggled to rebrand itself after its historic loss at the 2018 general election although it chose to stick with its name and colours. 

Such developments have given rise to questions over the relevance of party logos to voters' support at the ballot box. 

Hisommudin was of the belief that PN's lacklustre showing at the Melaka and Johor elections had opened its eyes to the need for a more meaningful symbol. 

As it stood, he said, PN's banner was "too simple". 

Political analyst Kartini Aboo Talib meanwhile said logos were once a crucial part of elections due to low literacy rates.

"They depended on logos and symbols to choose which party to support through their ballots," she said. 

Today, she said, logos were still needed to represent individual parties. 

"But what the parties stand for – that is what the people pay attention to now."

Kartini, of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said PN's decision to use a new symbol would benefit the coalition at GE15. 

"It's a symbol of cooperation between the country's two Malay-Muslim parties," she added, citing the precedent set by PH at GE14 where component parties had united to contest using PKR's logo.

She said voters in PAS strongholds such as Kelantan, Terengganu and parts of Kedah and Perak would not change their support based on a switch in symbols. 

"On the other hand, in cities and areas where PAS, Bersatu and PN have no sway, voters will not choose PN no matter how many times it changes its logo," she said. 

Hisommudin meanwhile said that how voters react to the new logo will depend on its promotion by PN's election machinery. 

"I don't think it will have a problem convincing its supporters even if it does introduce a new logo in GE15," he said.