Whether or not former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's fledgeling political party survives after the 14th general election could depend on it winning Johor.

Analyst Wan Saiful Wan Jan said in a research paper that winning the southern state could provide Bersatu with a platform to grow from, should it fail to form the federal government.

"The intention is for Johor to become the base from which the party can survive and expand in the long run, just like PKR in Selangor, PAS in Kelantan and DAP in Penang.

"Johor, therefore, is not just another state. It may very well be the state that decides if Bersatu will exist in the long run," Wan Saiful said in the paper published by Singapore's Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute...