Pas vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar’s recent appointment as Perikatan Nasional chairman does not automatically make him the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate if it wins the next general election.
Chairmanship separate from PM candidacy
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin clarified that the PN chairman’s post and the choice of prime minister candidate for the 16th General Election are distinct matters.
He stressed that the issue of PN’s prime ministerial candidate had not yet been discussed between Bersatu and Pas.
“This is an appointment to the chairmanship, not for the choice of prime minister,” Muhyiddin said, quoting Pas deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
He added that when questions arose about his own position as potential candidate, Pas leadership had stated clearly they were not ready to discuss it yet, and that position still stands.
Samsuri, the Terengganu menteri besar, was appointed PN chairman during an extraordinary meeting of the PN supreme council on Feb 22.
He took over the role from Muhyiddin, who stepped down as chairman effective Jan 1 this year.
Muhyiddin noted that Bersatu had previously believed the PN chairman should be a more senior leader, ideally the president of one of the component parties.
However, he said Bersatu respects Pas’ firm decision to elevate Samsuri to lead the coalition.
“The PN constitution does not stipulate that requirement of a party president being chairman. It only says if one wants to become PN chairman, one must be more senior, not a junior,” he explained.
No future collaboration with Hamzah
On a separate note, Muhyiddin reiterated he would not work with former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, who was recently sacked from the party.
If Hamzah joins another party that seeks to enter PN, Muhyiddin said he would voice his objections.
“The right to accept any party into the coalition does not belong to just one person, but all the component parties,” he said.
“If he wants to find his direction, that’s his choice and I won’t get involved. But if he wants his new party to join PN, I will say no, because ‘once bitten, twice shy’.”
Muhyiddin added that in his personal view, if Hamzah does not appear settled in the next year or two, acceptance into PN would remain difficult.
“We are all human and it’s not that easy,” he said.
Succession planning in Bersatu
Muhyiddin also addressed his leadership in Bersatu, stating he would not helm the party forever and planned to make way for a younger leader soon.
He expressed confidence that Bersatu has a strong line-up of potential successors, including vice-presidents Mohd Radzi Jidin and Ahmad Faizal Azumu, secretary-general Mohamed Azmin Ali, youth chief Muhammad Hilman Idham, and supreme council member Afif Bahardin.
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