Islamist PAS set to lead Malaysia’s opposition PN; Hadi Awang says decision on new chairman soon

KUALA LUMPUR - Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) will take over the leadership of Malaysia’s opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional (PN), its president, Tan Sri Hadi Awang, said on Jan 2, following

Muhyiddin Yassin’s

resignation

as PN chairman

.

The PAS leader added that discussions on the coalition leadership and choice of chairman would be held soon, possibly next week, with PAS expected to put forward its own candidate.

“We have already decided that PAS will take over Perikatan Nasional. We will discuss this in the PN meeting and also in the PAS leadership meeting,” he told reporters. “We will do it as soon as possible. Possibly next week.”

PN is the second-largest coalition with 67 seats in Parliament, just behind Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan bloc, which holds 79 seats.

Observers are taking a close interest in who will lead PN, as the next leader is likely to be the opposition coalition’s prime ministerial candidate should it win in Malaysia’s next general election, which has to be held by early 2028.

Muhyiddin, 78, who is currently in London, is expected to return home next week. The head of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and former prime minister had announced his resignation as PN chief on Dec 30, with several other Bersatu politicians following suit and stepping down from their PN posts.

Analysts say a PAS-led coalition could sharpen the PN’s ideological identity, which will also complicate its appeal to a broader, multi-ethnic electorate, highlighting a strategic trade-off for the opposition as it seeks to position itself as a credible alternative government.

PN, formed in 2020, is anchored by Islamist party PAS and Malay-based Bersatu, alongside smaller partners Gerakan, a Chinese-centric party, and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.

On the selection of a new chairman, Mr Hadi, 78, said discussions were still ongoing and indicated that the nominee would come from PAS, but suggested that he would not take on the post.

“I am in a state of ill health. We will discuss it within the party on the candidate for PN chairman. There are many people. There are politicians. There are also technocrats,” he said.

Mr Hadi said PAS’ move to take over PN’s leadership would not disrupt ties with its political partners, stressing that relations with Bersatu remain “good” and that PAS also maintains good ties with UMNO.

He did not rule out reviving Muafakat Nasional, a Malay-Muslim political pact forged in 2019 between PAS and UMNO aimed at uniting the two parties with a long history of rivalry, which later stalled amid shifting political alliances.

“God willing, we want to unite Muslims and also unite non-Muslims who are not extreme,” Mr Hadi said.

PAS, which holds 43 of the 67 seats held by PN, is also the party with the most seats in Parliament.

PAS’ strength is underpinned by extensive grassroots networks in Malaysia’s Malay heartland, where it governs the states of Kelantan and Terengganu and plays leading roles in PN-led administrations in Kedah, and in

Perlis before the December political crisis

.

Despite having almost twice as many seats as Bersatu, the PN leadership is dominated by the smaller party, with Mr Hadi serving only as one of the bloc’s four deputy chairmen.

Leadership change with risks

With PAS now set to take over the opposition coalition, that imbalance between parliamentary strength and formal authority is being resolved, but not without risks.

Political analyst Tunku Mohar Mokhtar said a PAS-led coalition would face limits in broadening its appeal beyond its core Malay-Muslim base. To avoid that, it must pick a PAS leader who would be more acceptable to non-Malay voters who view the party as being too “extreme” for their liking.

He said PAS’ efforts to court non-Muslim voters have so far had limited success, adding that the party’s image had previously been softened by Bersatu’s leadership role. Hence, PN’s next leadership line-up must project itself as a credible government-in-waiting if it hopes to challenge Datuk Seri Anwar’s multi-ethnic ruling alliance.

For strategic reasons, Dr Tunku Mohar said PAS could promote Terengganu Menteri Besar Samsuri Mokhtar as a leadership option. He noted, however, that Datuk Seri Samsuri’s lack of status as party president or deputy president could complicate his acceptance among coalition partners. He is one of the three vice-presidents of the Islamist party.

Dr Samsuri, 55, is often portrayed as a technocratic figure within PAS. Trained as an aerospace engineer with a doctorate from the University of Leeds, he built his career in academia and engineering management before entering politics, a background that some within the party see as useful in broadening PN’s appeal beyond its traditional pro-ulama (cleric) base.

“Samsuri is seen as a more moderate, highly educated and not typical religious leader. Being a chief minister also gives him an advantage over, say, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, the party’s deputy president,” said Dr Tunku Mohar.

Meanwhile, political analyst Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said internal PAS dynamics point to a different preference, which will more likely favour Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim, 65.

Dr Ariff said leadership legitimacy within PAS is shaped not only by administrative ability but also by religious standing and party hierarchy.

“In PAS, holding an ulama background has convincing weightage,” he said, contrasting the clerical credentials of Mr Tuan Ibrahim with Dr Samsuri’s technocratic profile.

Dr Ariff added that Mr Tuan Ibrahim’s calm demeanour, lack of major controversies and strong grassroots support would likely minimise resistance within the party.

“Being the party’s second-in-command gives him extra weight in the form of grassroots trust, and he has shown an ability to maintain good relations not only with Bersatu, but also with Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional,” he noted.

With several names being mentioned, the final decision rests on the acceptance of PN’s four component parties, said Bersatu founding member Mohd Redzuan Yusof.

“According to the PN Constitution, only party presidents are eligible to be named chairman, as they hold the executive power to make key decisions on matters such as elections and seat allocations.

“However, in certain circumstances, a president may nominate another individual for the role, depending on the internal dynamics of each party,” he told The Straits Times.

As for Muhyiddin, Mr Redzuan said that although the politician is no longer PN’s chairman, effective Jan 1, 2026, he remains an integral figure.

“He... will continue to be part of the coalition. To defeat Anwar’s government, we need to be united,” he added.

• Sign up for our weekly 

Asian Insider Malaysia Edition

 newsletter to make sense of the big stories in Malaysia.