Perikatan Nasional (PN) is entering a transitional phase following the resignation of its chairman, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which took effect on 1 January 2026. With the coalition’s top post now vacant, attention has increasingly focused on PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang as a leading contender to assume the role, reflecting the shifting balance of influence within the opposition bloc.
Datuk Kamaruddin Md Noor, chairman of Bersatu Kelantan, indicated that the internal structure of PN makes a PAS leader a natural choice for the chairmanship. He pointed out that PAS and Bersatu remain the coalition’s two dominant parties, outweighing the smaller component groups in terms of representation and political clout. In that context, leadership from PAS is viewed by some within Bersatu as a logical next step.
Kamaruddin also recalled that Muhyiddin had previously approached Abdul Hadi with an offer to take on the chairmanship, an invitation that was declined at the time. Despite that earlier decision, Abdul Hadi’s name has resurfaced amid renewed discussions following Muhyiddin’s departure, suggesting that circumstances within PN have since evolved.
The Bersatu leader further noted that PN’s constitution provides guidance on leadership succession, as the coalition is typically headed by the leader of its leading party. Should PAS assume the dominant role within PN, the position would ordinarily fall to its president. These remarks were made during an official engagement at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kelantan, held in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign.
At the same time, PAS has signalled that the leadership question remains open. Party figures have previously stressed that the eventual nominee for PN chairman does not have to be Abdul Hadi by default. Instead, the emphasis has been placed on selecting an individual capable of uniting the coalition and consolidating its strength at a time of internal recalibration.
PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has underlined that the appointment process will involve consultations among all PN component parties, with consensus serving as the guiding principle. From Bersatu’s perspective, there appears to be no resistance to a PAS figure taking over the chairmanship, provided agreement is reached collectively.
Adding to the picture, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has confirmed that the party plans to submit several names for consideration as part of the succession process. This suggests that internal deliberations within PAS are still ongoing and that multiple candidates could be evaluated before a final decision is made.
The matter is expected to be formally discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Perikatan Nasional Supreme Council. Until then, PN’s leadership transition remains fluid, with Abdul Hadi emerging as a prominent possibility but not yet a foregone conclusion.
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