The Fracturing Alliance: Bersatu and PAS in a Shadowy Struggle for Supremacy
What truly drives the growing rift between PAS and Bersatu, and why has Perikatan Nasional begun to fracture from within? Beneath public disagreements lie quiet contests for dominance, resources, and loyalty....
Once uneasy partners in the dramatic 2020 "Sheraton Move" that toppled a government and briefly installed Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) now find themselves locked in a bitter, escalating rivalry within Perikatan Nasional (PN).
What began as a coalition of convenience has devolved into a high-stakes contest veiled in accusations of betrayal, with both sides maneuvering behind the scenes for dominance.
Some will say 'betrayal' is nothing new for these two parties but this would be an unfair assessment. Nevertheless, both parties are feeling betrayed. Rumour are PAS tried to topple Muhyiddin last year but failed. This has triggered a witch hunt in Bersatu and they succeeded in eliminating the pro-PAS elements in the party.
Now both are seemingly competing for power within the opposition coalition. One would think that at the heart of this competition lies a deceptively simple yet profoundly consequential question: Who will lead the opposition coalition? But it looks like Bersatu is struggling to keep its relevance while PAS is also struggling to gain support from a broader spectrum of the Malaysian electorate. They depend heavily on the Malay voters in the Malay belt in peninsular Malaysia and that is not sufficient for them to conquer Putrajaya in the next general elections.
As a Malay-based party, Bersatu relies heavily on Malay voter support too. However, it did not perform particularly well in the most recent elections, as it had to depend largely on PAS’s grassroots machinery for its campaign efforts. Recent revelations also indicate that Bersatu relied on PAS’s financial resources to fund these campaigns. This dependence positions Bersatu as the weaker partner in the current struggle for political survival.
Two years ahead of the next elections, both parties are unable to decide who will position themselves (or their chosen figure) as the frontrunner to challenge Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the next general election!
The recent turmoil traces back to the explosive Perlis political crisis in late 2025, where Bersatu-backed moves contributed to the ouster of PAS's Menteri Besar, sparking cries of "backstabbing" from PAS leaders. This incident exposed deep fissures, culminating in Muhyiddin Yassin's tactical resignation as PN chairman effective January 1, 2026 — a move some insiders view as a calculated retreat to consolidate power within Bersatu while shifting the burden (and potential blame) onto PAS.
In response, Bersatu has undergone a ruthless internal "clean-up." Several top MPs and leaders — many seen as allies of Hamzah Zainudin, the current Leader of the Opposition — have been sacked or suspended in recent weeks. Last year, some of the top leaders were fired.
These purges appear designed to neutralize factional threats and tighten Muhyiddin's grip on the party he co-founded with the nonagenarian veteran Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Hamzah, who chairs no party but holds the opposition leadership role (perhaps as a deliberate compromise to soothe inter-party tensions), now faces mounting uncertainty. Whispers suggest factions within both PAS and Bersatu may challenge his position, viewing him as either a bridge to unity or a liability in the escalating power game.
Yet the shadows deepen around Muhyiddin himself. His looming corruption trial, set to begin in March 2026, hangs like a storm cloud, while his son-in-law remains in hiding amid related graft allegations. These legal entanglements fuel doubts about his long-term viability as Bersatu's — and PN's — figurehead, prompting quiet speculation: Is the recent party purge merely a defensive consolidation, or part of a larger, hidden agenda to reshape the opposition's future leadership?
Beneath the public rhetoric of unity and Malay-Muslim solidarity, the rivalry between Bersatu and PAS is no longer just about seats or ideology. It is a clandestine battle for supremacy — over the coalition's direction, its prime ministerial candidate, and ultimately, the path back to federal power. As preparations for key state polls and the looming general election intensify, the question lingers: Will this fractured alliance hold, or will the hidden agendas tear it apart for good?
Watch for our part 2.
What truly drives the growing rift between PAS and Bersatu, and why has Perikatan Nasional begun to fracture from within? Beneath public disagreements lie quiet contests for dominance, resources, and loyalty. Are unseen actors nudging these tensions along? This first instalment traces the shadows behind the cracks.
Editorial