International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Syaza Syukri said prolonged insistence by Bersatu to continue leading PN could strain ties with PAS.
PETALING JAYA: It is not impossible for Perikatan Nasional (PN) to split if Bersatu remains adamant about retaining the coalition’s top post, says International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Syaza Syukri.
She said prolonged insistence by Bersatu to continue leading PN could strain ties with PAS, which currently holds the largest bloc of seats within the coalition.
“If this continues, I would not be surprised if PAS decides to leave and contest solo. PAS has the capacity to do so,” she told theSun.
She said unlike Bersatu, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, which remain mutually dependent within the coalition framework, PAS is structurally and electorally more self-sufficient.
“PAS can be comfortable positioning itself as a Malay-Muslim party on its own. It may not necessarily form the federal government but it could very well emerge as the single largest party in Parliament.”
Syaza said PN is at present perceived as a weak opposition coalition even prior to the latest internal tensions within Bersatu that saw the expulsion of its deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and his Umno splinter party faction.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said PN’s core strength does not lie with Bersatu but with PAS.
“Logically, when Bersatu weakens, PN appears weak as well. However, the real controlling influence within PN is PAS, whose strength is anchored in solid Malay voter support. PAS’ influence in PN is almost total in that sense.”
He added that this is why the Madani government, which includes Barisan Nasional (BN), had not dissolved the state assemblies in Johor and Malacca despite BN winning comfortably there in the past state election.
“There is no concrete evidence to show that Bersatu or PN supporters are shifting their votes to BN. Both Johor and Malacca are fully controlled by BN, so the question of early dissolution does not arise simply because Bersatu is facing internal problems.
“Without a demonstrable swing in voter support, PN’s current weakness remains internal and does not automatically translate into electoral gains for BN.” – By Ikhwan Zulkaflee