The uncontested re-election of PAS’s top five leaders, including party president Abdul Hadi Awang, indicates that the Islamic party is focused on consolidating its Malay support base rather than expanding beyond it, according to analysts.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara noted that the absence of challenges not only for the top two positions but also for all three vice-presidencies reflected a deliberate decision to maintain stability.
He highlighted Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Nor’s unexpected choice to forgo a vice-presidency bid, despite securing sufficient nominations.
“I guess it is due to the fact that a few weeks ago, the PAS ulama council issued their edict – do not rock the boat. I think Sanusi understood this. That’s why he declined to accept the nomination. The direction is that they don’t want to rock the boat.
“They don’t want to be like Bersatu, which is rocking very heavily. I suppose PAS is very, very satisfied with its core supporters, the Malays. By keeping the status quo, PAS is signalling that they are satisfied with how things are right now,” he told FMT.
Azmi added that this approach signaled PAS’s internal strength and stability, enabling the party to stand firm against Bersatu within Perikatan Nasional.
However, he warned that retaining Hadi in leadership would limit the Islamic party’s ability to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base.
“The non-Malays are very wary of PAS because of the extreme views propagated by Hadi, especially. Keeping Hadi and the rest of the top five there will alienate the non-Malay support which PAS really needs now,” said Azmi.
Hadi has served as PAS president since 2003. Rumors had circulated that he intended to step down due to health concerns, but the seven-term Marang MP dispelled them by declaring, “I want to die while still in office.”
Hadi and his deputy, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, were returned unopposed ahead of PAS’s 71st muktamar, while the party’s three vice-presidents—Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Idris Ahmad, and Amar Abdullah—also retained their positions without contest.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia explained that the lack of competition for senior roles aligned with the party’s adherence to Islamic principles on leadership.
“According to Islamic principles, someone who offers himself or fights for positions can be considered to have violated the teachings of Islam, and such people must be sidelined. That is why in PAS they practise the principle of loyalty to the leader, or ‘wala’.
“This is why power struggles do not happen in PAS, except when there is a clash of thought, such as in 2015, which led to the formation of Amanah,” he said, adding that leadership changes in PAS typically occur only due to age, infirmity, or death.
Mazlan forecasted that under Hadi, PAS would persist with its current path, emphasizing a Malay-Muslim agenda in its political discourse.
“Its influence in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu must be maintained through this agenda, and I expect PAS will continue to hold power in these four states. Efforts to expand PN’s influence beyond its traditional base may be taken up more by Bersatu.”
Without leadership renewal, he said, PAS would remain entrenched in its established patterns. While this might secure control of the four northern and east coast states, achieving federal power would prove challenging.
“The election results will still be the status quo,” he said, referring to the 2022 general election, which resulted in a hung Parliament and the subsequent formation of the unity government.
