Opposition group in disarray in Malaysia after PAS mulls review of collaboration with Bersatu

MALAYSIA: After a year of turmoil in Perikatan Nasional (PN), PAS now looks ready to either push out Muhyiddin Yassin’s party, Bersatu, or reduce its role in the opposition coalition.

Since the inception of the alliance, Bersatu has played the role of the big brother, but since the 2022 elections, PAS has started to impose itself in the alliance. It has more seats than Bersatu and controls more states in Peninsula Malaysia.

Things started to change in PN after the resignation of Muhyiddin as the grouping chairman, and this led to the PAS nominating the Menteri Besar of Terengganu, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, as the new chairman.

But Bersatu went through a series of shocks, with the party kicking out several Members of Parliament, including its deputy leader Hamzah Zainuddin, who was also the official Opposition leader in Parliament.

To further impose its power on the opposition group, PAS appointed Samsuri as the new opposition leader in Parliament, thus diminishing Bersatu’s role as a major opposition party.

But as the heat of the election is increasingly felt in Malaysia, PAS gave a stern warning to Bersatu, even stating that they will review the current cooperation.

In a shock press conference, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that so far his party has been patient with actions allegedly taken by Bersatu in several matters. And he said their patience has limits.

“We are not disappointed… we are patient, (but) patience has its limits,” he stressed at a press conference in Rusila, Terengganu, last week.

Abdul Hadi also explained that the actions taken by their ally Bersatu were ‘attempts’ to sideline PAS.

He mentioned a series of missteps by Bersatu, with the latest being the U-turn of Bersatu reps in Negeri Sembilan. Initially, they withdrew support for the Chief Minister of the state, but later made a U-turn.

The PAS leader said it was unacceptable for Bersatu to make the U-turn, which probably prevented the collapse of the pro-Pakatan Harapan government in the state.

And there is also the blocking of admission of Malay-Muslim political parties in the PN coalition by Bersatu. PAS did not take these lightly.

‘Lastly, Bersatu blocked membership of Malay Muslim parties, including non‑Muslim parties that are not extreme, from joining PN,’ Abdul Hadi said.

Abdul Hadi also said PAS’s disappointment that Bersatu had more election candidates compared to party workers and machinery.

Asked about the possibility PAS will move without Bersatu after this, the 78‑year‑old politician said the matter remains one possibility but cannot be determined because ‘it has not happened yet.’