Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar - Menteri Besar of Trengganu and former political secretary to PAS President Tan Sri Hadi Awang - has thrown down a political marker that could redefine the trajectory of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and its position within Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Freshly appointed as PN chairman, Samsuri argues that the time has come for PAS to step out of the shadows and claim a more prominent national role - no longer content to play second fiddle within the coalition.
Speaking on the Lebih Masa podcast hosted by Sdr. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Samsuri pointed to the results of the 15th General Election (GE15) as a watershed moment. PAS secured 43 parliamentary seats - the highest among all parties - surpassing even long-established players like Democratic Action Party (DAP).
“PAS is bigger than DAP,” he declared, proudly highlighting what he described as the party’s steady evolution and unprecedented parliamentary strength.
A Shift in Political Gravity
For years, PAS operated as a key but supporting force within PN, often perceived as working in tandem with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). However, the post-GE15 parliamentary composition has altered the internal balance of power.
With the largest bloc of MPs and a strong base of state assemblymen, PAS now finds itself at the centre of PN’s political gravity. Samsuri insists that this reality demands recalibration.
“The time has arrived for us to play a more prominent role,” he said, signalling that PAS must have a decisive say in government formation and national policymaking moving forward.
His appointment as PN chairman - following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin - ended weeks of speculation and internal negotiation. Despite murmurs that PN’s non-Malay components such as Malaysian Indian People's Party (MIPP) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) might resist PAS leading the coalition, Samsuri’s elevation was unanimously endorsed.
Beyond the Village Champion
Yet numbers alone do not guarantee national acceptance. Samsuri openly acknowledged that PAS faces scepticism from non-Muslims, voters in Sabah and Sarawak, and even segments of the Malay electorate.
He used a telling metaphor - PAS cannot remain a “jaguh kampung,” a village champion competing only on familiar terrain. If it aspires to federal or even international stature, it must step into Malaysia’s complex multiracial reality.
This signals a potential strategic pivot. PAS, long associated with its conservative Islamic credentials, may now be compelled to broaden its messaging, temper perceptions, and engage communities beyond its traditional strongholds in the east coast states.
The Next Political Chapter
Malaysia’s political landscape remains fluid and unpredictable. Coalitions shift, alliances fracture, and voter sentiments evolve rapidly. In this environment, PAS’s claim to a leading national role will not be judged solely by seat counts, but by its economic effectiveness in propelling the nation forward and its ability to reassure a plural society that it can govern inclusively with fair and just policies for all Malaysians.
Samsuri’s message is unequivocal: PAS believes its time has come.
The bigger question is whether Malaysia is ready - and whether PAS itself is prepared - to transform from a dominant opposition force into a national leader capable of bridging divides rather than deepening them.
With the next general election on the horizon, one thing is undeniable: PAS is done waiting in the wings. It wants centre stage - and the power that comes with it.
By: Kpost
Information Source:
Kpost (ckhorsk@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
