Malaysia’s PAS severs ties with Bersatu, throwing opposition pact PN’s fate into question
Parti Islam Se-Malaysia’s president Abdul Hadi Awang said the decision took into account the state of relations between the two parties.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s main opposition party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) on Monday (Jun 8) announced that it will end its political cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), raising doubts over the future of the federal opposition pact Perikatan Nasional (PN).
In a statement after a special meeting of its central working committee at its headquarters on Monday evening, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that the decision to sever ties with Bersatu was made after taking into account reports, studies and the current assessment of relations between the two parties, local media reported.
He said the party endorsed a similar decision on Jun 2 by its Syura Council of Ulama – its highest religious decision-making body – that took in “policy, legal and public interest considerations”.
“We will explore a form of political understanding and electoral cooperation (electoral pact) for the sake of Muslim unity, in preparation for the state elections and the 16th General Election (GE16), and to welcome the intention of academics, professionals, political leaders, and community activists to join PAS,” said Abdul Hadi, as reported by The Star.
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In a statement on Tuesday, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said he expressed regret over PAS’ decision to sever ties with his party, stressing that Bersatu will remain within the PN coalition.
Muhyiddin further reiterated that Bersatu would continue strengthening the opposition pact as one of its founding members.
“As a founding party of PN, Bersatu will remain in the PN and continue to strengthen its core struggle and principles.
“Bersatu will further advance the people-centred agenda championed by PN since its establishment, while supporting the aspirations of Malaysians who seek change and leadership that reflects the hopes and ambitions of all citizens,” said Muhyiddin.
Tension has been brewing between the two main parties within PN, including an alleged move by Bersatu to block the admission of Malay-Muslim parties into the opposition bloc. PN’s other members are the minority-centric parties Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
Analysts had previously told CNA that the increasingly public spat between PAS and Bersatu is pushing their relationship to the brink, with PAS wary of being dragged down by Bersatu’s troubles and seeking a new partner as national polls loom.
Malaysia must hold its next general election by February 2028, but Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said he could call snap polls amid shifting political winds.
PAS and Bersatu have had a strained relationship since last year, where a state leadership crisis in Malaysia’s northernmost state Perlis saw the ousting of former chief minister Moh Shukri Ramli, who hails from the Islamist party.
PAS leaders have criticised the move, and that dispute led to Muhyiddin stepping down as PN chairman. PAS’ vice-president and Terengganu Chief Minister Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar then took over the chairmanship of the opposition coalition.
Meanwhile, PAS central committee member Shahidan Kassim said that PAS remains a component party of PN for now despite the Islamist party ending its political alliance with Bersatu.
Shahidan – a Member of Parliament for Arau and a former federal minister – said that Abdul Hadi’s statement on ending its cooperation with Bersatu did not touch on PN.
“So, our existing position (in PN) remains,” he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.
Separately, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari sidestepped questions on what the decision would mean for the opposition coalition.
“I don’t want to comment on that for now,” he reportedly said.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Fadhli said that the positions of PAS and Bersatu within PN would be managed in accordance with the coalition’s constitution and “through appropriate channels”.
“Following yesterday’s decision, it is clear that PAS and Bersatu can no longer remain under the same umbrella,” he said.
Last month, Abdul Hadi said his Islamist party was reassessing its ties with Bersatu amid calls for PAS to revive its Muafakat Nasional alliance with the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). UMNO is a component party within the Barisan National coalition and part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.
Just last week, Abdul Hadi said that PAS and UMNO leaders had held a “regular meeting”, but UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stressed that the leaders involved did not discuss reviving the defunct Muafakat Nasional alliance.
At its general assembly earlier this year, UMNO had said that it will form a “unity committee” in a bid to reunite the country’s Malays politically. Zahid had said then that the move would facilitate the return of former members and political rivals – whether individually or en bloc – as part of a broader mission to reposition UMNO as the “grand home for the Malays”.
STATES GOVERNED BY PERIKATAN NASIONAL
PN controls four of Malaysia’s legislative assemblies: Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. Of the four, PAS holds a simple majority in the state legislative assemblies of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, the 15-seat Perlis state assembly comprised six assemblypersons from PAS, five from Bersatu and one from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The remaining three seats are vacant after PAS sacked three of its assemblypersons in December following a state leadership crisis last year that saw the ousting of former chief minister Mohd Shukri Ramli.
Abu Bakar Hamzah became Perlis’ chief minister after eight state assemblypersons – five from Bersatu and the three from PAS – withdrew their support for Shukri. The move had been described as an effort allegedly conspired by Bersatu to oust PAS and install its own chief minister.
Last week, Perlis ruler Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin said that Abu Bakar should continue leading until the end of the 15th assembly, stressing that political stability would affect investors’ confidence in the state.
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin on Jun 3 had called on state assemblymen to put the people’s interests over personal interests, expressing hope that Abu Bakar would be given space to lead till the end of his term.
Earlier in May, Abu Bakar had said that he would dissolve the Perlis state assembly if the six PAS assemblypersons tabled a no confidence vote against him.
Source: Agencies/as(js)
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