Will the speculation of PN’s new Chairman end on Thursday?

LocalPolitics
26 Jan 2026 • 8:30 AM MYT
The Vibes
The Vibes

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PERIKATAN Nasional has scheduled an Extraordinary Meeting of its Supreme Council on Thursday, with the appointment of a new chairman taking centre stage following the departure of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from the post.

The agenda was outlined in a notice dated Jan 23 and issued by PN deputy secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, confirming that the leadership transition would be formally addressed at the meeting.

“With reference to the above matter and the related letters from GERAKAN president and PN deputy chairman Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai, as well as PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, dated Jan 7 and Jan 10 respectively.

“Based on the provisions of Clause 12.2 of the PN constitution, an Extraordinary Meeting of the Supreme Council may be convened upon a written request to the secretary-general by at least half of the component parties.

“The secretary-general must then call the meeting within 14 days from the date of receipt of the request,” he said.

According to the notice, the council will first select a chairperson for the meeting from among PN’s deputy chairmen, in line with Clause 8.3(II)(b) of the coalition’s constitution, before proceeding to the substantive leadership matters.

The meeting, scheduled to begin at 8.30pm at Gerakan’s headquarters here, will formally confirm Muhyiddin’s resignation as PN chairman and move to appoint a successor in accordance with Clause 8.3(I)(b) of the party constitution.

Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president and Pagoh MP, announced earlier that he would step down from the chairmanship with effect from Jan 1, ending a five-year tenure that began when Perikatan Nasional was officially registered on Aug 7, 2020.

PN’s main component parties include Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan, with the leadership transition occurring against a backdrop of increasing speculation over who will take the helm.

Among the names widely mentioned are PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

The issue has also revived calls from within PAS, including from its Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden, for the PN chairmanship to be held by the Islamist party.

At the same time, strains between PAS and Bersatu have become more visible following political turmoil in Perlis, where Sanglang assemblyman Mohd Shukri Ramli resigned as Chief Minister after leaving PAS, underscoring internal frictions within the coalition as it approaches a critical leadership decision. - January 26, 2026