KUALA LUMPUR — Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has said the next Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman should be selected from among the coalition’s party presidents, a stance that has renewed pressure on PN as it grapples with a delicate leadership transition.
Speaking to selected media in Brickfields last night, Muhyiddin said the coalition’s top post must be held by one of its four sitting party leaders himself, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, Gerakan president Dominic Lau, or Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) president P. Punithan.
Muhyiddin stepped down as PN chairman on January 1, triggering speculation over his successor.
However, he acknowledged that his insistence on a president-led leadership structure had created a dilemma, particularly after Abdul Hadi ruled himself out of contention due to health reasons.
“If I have resigned, one of the other three should be PN chairman. But if the other three cannot be the chairman, can you give me a solution?” he said.
“So we have reached this point now. In the end, we will have to look at the overall situation. The coalition must become more sustainable in the future.”
The former prime minister added that he intends to propose amendments to PN’s constitution to streamline its administration and strengthen long-term governance.
Any revisions, he said, would depend on the coalition’s supreme council, but could result in changes to its internal structure.
Despite Muhyiddin’s position, several PN leaders, including figures within Bersatu have publicly said that the chairmanship need not be restricted to party presidents.
Abdul Hadi, although declining the role, had previously signalled PAS’s interest in the post.
Names from the Islamist party reportedly being considered include deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also the Terengganu menteri besar.
With Malaysia edging closer to the next general election, Muhyiddin said PN must also begin addressing the question of its “poster boy” for GE16.
Bersatu has named him as its preferred prime ministerial candidate, but he described this as merely a proposal that should not bind other coalition partners.
“If all four components want to put forward a prime ministerial candidate, that is fine. In the end, we can discuss and make a final decision for the PN,” he said.
“We will not argue. But perhaps it is time we decide who the PN's next prime ministerial candidate should be, as people are already thinking about GE16.”
Muhyiddin also acknowledged that his relationship with Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin “could be better”.
Their alleged rivalry has continued to cast a shadow over the party, contributing to internal turmoil that led to the sacking of MPs Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, as well as the suspension of Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal — all reportedly aligned with Hamzah. — January 22, 2026
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