Why do parties like Pejuang still contest despite past total losses?

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Parties like Pejuang still contest despite past total losses because they treat the election as an “audition” for future relevance and survivability.

Pejuang contested the last Johor state election in 2022, losing all 42 races and all deposits, and then lost all 168 parliamentary and state races in the subsequent general election, also losing every deposit. Even after party president Mukhriq Mahathir and Mahathir Mohamad both lost their races, and Mahathir Mohamad later left the party, Pejuang still seeks partnerships to remain relevant.
They use election results as a survivability test
The performance of smaller parties is framed around survivability, including a “candidate to deposit loss” ratio that can be tracked across elections. In this yardstick, Pejuang’s 2022 Johor outcome (42 races, all deposits lost) and its later general election losses (168 races, all deposits lost) show repeated failure to retain electoral footing.
They contest to establish credibility for future coalition talks
The idea is that these parties are not necessarily aiming to win the state immediately, but to demonstrate they can survive and negotiate from a position that does not erase their credibility. The coverage notes that larger coalitions control electoral terms, so smaller parties cannot ignore overtures or let the process reduce how they are perceived.
They keep pushing for relevance even when partners prefer them sidelined
Pejuang wants to partner with other parties, but the intended targets prefer Pejuang to be irrelevant. With BN and Pakatan described as non-starters and PN having “too many suitors,” the article portrays Pejuang as stuck in a situation where it can still try to remain in the conversation even while being rejected.
The broader logic is “auditions” in a first-past-the-post system
In a Westminster first-past-the-post setting, the article characterises party survival as a high bar, with the political landscape moving from a long-standing coalition dominance to a three-way game around 2020. For parties outside the big three, Johor is presented as an obstacle course to prove they have a future; success can mean being taken seriously for later partnerships, while repeated losses can push them toward being “talked into oblivion.”

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Why do parties like Pejuang still contest despite past total losses?

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