The public feud between PAS and Bersatu has escalated dramatically, exposing the widening cracks within Perikatan Nasional (PN) as both parties trade blame over the coalition's deteriorating relationship ahead of the Negeri Sembilan state election.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has firmly rejected Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's accusation that PN has become "toxic" under PAS's leadership, instead pointing the finger squarely at Bersatu for causing the coalition's internal crisis.
Speaking to reporters at the Jempol district administration complex during the nomination process for the Serting, Palong, Jeram Padang and Bahau state seats, Hadi dismissed Muhyiddin's criticism as untrue.
"That is not true. The rift was caused by Bersatu's misconduct within PN," Hadi said.
His remarks came just a day after Muhyiddin launched one of his strongest attacks yet against PAS, accusing the Islamist party of sidelining Bersatu, abandoning the coalition's founding principles and turning PN into an increasingly dysfunctional political alliance.
The exchange marks another chapter in the increasingly bitter dispute that has unfolded since PAS officially severed political ties with Bersatu on June 8, 2026, although both parties have technically remained members of PN.
Muhyiddin had also accused PAS leaders of making baseless allegations and spreading defamatory claims against Bersatu leaders in an effort to marginalise the party.
Referring to the political turmoil in Perlis, Muhyiddin argued that the crisis was caused by PAS leaders themselves, pointing to the change of the Menteri Besar's post from PAS to Bersatu as evidence of the party's own failures rather than Bersatu's conduct.
The Bersatu president further claimed that PAS had failed to continue negotiations over seat allocations for the Negeri Sembilan election, leaving Bersatu excluded from key decisions.
According to Muhyiddin, PAS initially convened discussions after the Johor state election but failed to follow through after no agreement was reached.
"They negotiated among themselves and simply left us hanging," he said, insisting that PN does not belong solely to PAS and that every component party should enjoy equal rights within the coalition.
Despite the worsening relationship, Hadi maintained that PAS remains focused on broader political cooperation rather than internal disputes.
Responding to Bersatu's plan to establish a new opposition coalition after the Negeri Sembilan election, Hadi said the decision was entirely up to his former ally.
"What is important is that we continue cooperation to save the people," he said.
On the electoral understanding between Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN for the Aug 1 state election, Hadi said PAS grassroots members had responded positively and expressed hope that such cooperation could eventually be expanded nationwide.
"We will work towards expanding cooperation nationwide. What is important is that our country remains safe," he added.
Under the current electoral arrangement, BN will contest 25 seats while the PAS-led PN will contest 11 seats. Bersatu, however, has broken ranks and will field candidates in 24 constituencies under its own party logo.
Muhyiddin has also hinted that Bersatu could eventually move beyond PN by forming a new political coalition involving parties under Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR), with discussions expected over the coming year in preparation for the next general election.
In a separate statement, Muhyiddin argued that Bersatu must now prepare to survive as the country's lone credible opposition party. He claimed that with PH and BN governing together at the federal level, and PN cooperating electorally with BN in Negeri Sembilan, Bersatu was effectively the only party capable of providing meaningful checks and balances against the government.
He accused both PH and BN of collectively bearing responsibility for rising living costs, fuel price increases and economic hardships faced by Malaysians, while dismissing UMNO's renewed calls for Malay and ummah unity as merely a political strategy to regain support.
The increasingly public war of words between PAS and Bersatu has reinforced perceptions that PN is facing one of its most serious internal crises since its formation. While both parties technically remain under the same coalition banner, their increasingly hostile exchanges, competing election strategies and conflicting visions for the opposition suggest that the coalition's long-term future is becoming increasingly uncertain.
With the Negeri Sembilan election serving as the first major contest since their political split, the results may determine not only the electoral fortunes of both parties but also whether PN can survive as a united opposition coalition heading into the next general election.
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.
