PN's Demise Looms: PAS Must End Leadership Chaos or Kiss the Coalition Goodbye!
PN's demise inevitable: Muhyiddin's chairman comeback bid clashes with PAS's inability to name Hadi Awang's successor.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) faces a profound leadership crisis following Muhyiddin Yassin's resignation as chairman on January 1, 2026.
Bersatu, led by the embattled Muhyiddin, is grappling with internal purges and member defections amid corruption probes, weakening its grip.
Meanwhile, PAS lacks a strong successor to helm the coalition, exacerbating public tussles over control.
The fallout from Bersatu's coup in Perlis, ousting PAS allies, has deepened rifts, with threats of PAS exiting PN.
As infighting escalates and no new leader emerges three weeks later, PN's cohesion unravels, signaling potential dissolution ahead of GE16.
This power vacuum risks rendering the opposition ineffective against Anwar Ibrahim's government.
Conversely, Muhyiddin Yassin is grappling with significant backlash within Bersatu, exacerbated by internal purges aimed at curbing dissent.
Unlike PAS, Bersatu's leadership has been aggressively trimmed through sackings and suspensions of Hamzah Zainudin's allies, consolidating power among pro-Muhyiddin factions.
The notable exception is Hamzah himself, Bersatu's deputy president, who—amid swirling rumors—enjoys PAS's favor and is seen as a potential bridge or rival in the ongoing tussle.
Bersatu and PAS in Limbo
The issues facing Bersatu and the PAS is a dynamic that risk further fracturing PN as loyalties shift.
Bersatu members’ main grouses against Muhyiddin Yassin, the party president, center on allegations of authoritarian leadership and unfair disciplinary actions.
Critics accuse him of orchestrating selective sackings of MPs (e.g., Wan Saiful Wan Jan expelled, others suspended) and division chiefs without due process, denying fair hearings, specific offence details, or appeal rights—violating party constitution and natural justice principles.
They claim dismissals target dissenters pushing for leadership transition (to figures like Hamzah), often linked to signature campaigns or calls for Muhyiddin to step down amid internal rifts, poor election performances, and coalition tensions.
This has fueled complaints to the Registrar of Societies and deepened party fractures.
The question now is for how long can Hadi Awang hold the post of leader of the PAS while he rejects calls for him to take over PN?
PAS has to resolve its leadership inertia while Bersatu has to decide once and for all what it will do with Muhyiddin, embattled and facing justice and unable to retake the PN chairmanship.
Will Muhyiddin quit as Bersatu leader to let a fresh face take over, or is Bersatu in a similar position to PAS, that is, in a limbo on who should take the mantle as leader?
Both parties are in effect, signing the death certificate of the PN as a credible opposition formation.
Kazi Mahmood