Though the surge in Malay identity politics is shaping to deal Pakatan Harapan (PH) a third successive defeat in fast approaching polls in Melaka, PH are not without creative responses to avert what looks like inevitable. He bears the principal blame for the PH component parties’ anaemic performances in the Sabah, Johor and Negri Sembilan polls. The embrace is a must for stopping the bandwagon of Malay identity politics which is the most retrogressive factor ever to have emerged in Malaysian politics. It rolled on nevertheless at the Negeri polls to bring Umno-BN and collaborators PAS and Wawasan to a victory that was stupefying to contemplate. Meanwhile, nothing should be done to show Umno that PH harbours hard feelings about the way the party has treated PH in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls.