PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s claim that Bersatu had automatically ceased to be a member of Perikatan Nasional (PN) was an attempt by the Islamic party to assert its dominance within the coalition, a political analyst says.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said it was naive to view Hadi’s statement merely as an interpretation of the PN constitution, which he said provides that any party choosing to join or form another alliance would automatically lose its membership.
Instead, Zaharuddin said the statement sent a message to Bersatu that the balance of power within PN was changing and that PAS no longer wanted to work with Muhyiddin Yassin’s party.
“This is about who is at PN’s steering wheel in the run-up to the 16th general election,” said Zaharuddin, who is with Global Asia Consulting.
He told FMT that PAS had been gaining strength at the grassroots level and had shown improved electoral performance.
Dispute over Bersatu’s PN status
Hadi made the claim about Bersatu’s status after Muhyiddin announced following last month’s Negeri Sembilan state election that Bersatu would form a new political alliance.
In response, Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali said Hadi’s claim contradicted the PN constitution.
Azmin said there was no provision for the automatic termination of a party’s membership and that Bersatu’s status as a PN component party could only be finalised by the presidential council.
However, Zaharuddin said the dispute between PAS and Bersatu carried a major risk of causing voters to view PN not as an alternative government but as a coalition focused on securing the largest possible number of seats.
“When coalition partners tussle for the leadership post, voters will be asking who among them is really interested in serving (the people). And if PN components cannot live under one roof, how will they convince the people they can rule together?” he said.
Bersatu faces dilemma over PN membership
Another analyst, Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia, said Hadi’s remarks were an attempt to resolve the dispute between PAS and Bersatu without going through the proper process.
She said Bersatu could not remain in PN if it proceeded with forming a new coalition.
However, Syaza said it would be difficult for Bersatu to walk away from PN because the coalition is currently an extremely powerful Malay political grouping.
As a result, she said Bersatu would continue to regard itself as a PN member until its membership was terminated in accordance with the PN constitution.
