Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz has challenged PAS to be as bold in naming its choice of prime minister candidate as it was when the party previously floated several names.
Tun Faisal was responding to PAS treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad’s rejection of calls for the party to state whether it would accept Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as prime minister if Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional form the next government after the 16th general election.
‘Previously, there was no issue of PAS leaders being ‘too early’, ‘afraid’ or ‘shy’ about naming prime minister candidates.
‘Strange, isn’t it, that the ‘elephant’ has suddenly become afraid and turned into a ‘mouse’,’ he said in a statement.
PAS previously named several candidates
PAS election director Sanusi Nor had previously described the Islamic party as an ‘elephant’ in urging its members not to feel inferior to smaller, newly formed parties.
Tun Faisal said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had previously named Hamzah Zainudin, the former Bersatu deputy president and current Wawasan president, as the party’s choice for prime minister.
He added that PAS Youth chief in August 2025 had openly named five potential prime ministers: Hadi, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, vice-presidents Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and Idris Ahmad, and Hamzah.
In September 2025, the wing named Tuan Ibrahim as its candidate for the prime minister’s post under PN during its muktamar.
The choice was later switched to Samsuri in February after he took over as PN chairman.
Tun Faisal questions PAS’ latest position
Tun Faisal said Iskandar should instead explain that Samsuri or any other PAS leader could not be the party’s prime minister candidate because, so far, PAS did not appear to have a candidate with the necessary experience and ability.
‘After all, the PAS president himself has not named a PAS leader as his candidate, but instead named a leader from another party,’ he said.
Iskandar yesterday said the question was premature and had not been discussed by the party.
He also described former DAP leader Ong Kian Ming’s prediction that BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would become the next prime minister as mere speculation.
Ong is now a political analyst.
As such, Iskandar said there was no need to entertain Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar’s call for PAS to address the issue based on Ong’s prediction.
