COMMENT | On paper, Perikatan Nasional (PN) was nearly wiped out of the Malacca election with only two seats won. In reality, PN has defied all odds and emerged the largest gainer in a subdued election.

In the rural heartlands, PN is now the primary alternative to Umno, substantially eroding Pakatan Harapan's relevance. The upshot of this is profound. Harapan can no longer rely on a three-way split of Malay votes to clinch victories.

If PN becomes a serious competitor – unlike PAS in the 14th general election (GE14) – Harapan would risk losing its already small Malay voter base to PN.

Understanding PN’s voter psyche is essential in devising an electoral strategy. Here are my five theories on why some voters choose PN when nobody thought they would...