FRESH strains have emerged within Malaysia’s opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional after Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang publicly revealed growing dissatisfaction within PAS over what he described as obstructive behaviour by coalition partner, Bersatu.
The PAS president said the party was now carefully examining a series of disagreements and negative actions allegedly committed by Bersatu, amid escalating tensions over the future direction and composition of the opposition alliance.
According to Hadi, PAS had sought to strengthen Perikatan Nasional by expanding membership to include additional Malay-Muslim parties as well as moderate non-Muslim parties, but claimed the proposal had been resisted by Bersatu.
“Matters like these will be studied and examined one by one to determine our next course of action. Elections involve both gains and losses and concern the level of support we receive.
“If it affects Perikatan Nasional during elections, it means we are not following what should properly be done,” he told reporters during a press conference at his residence in Rusila on Friday.
Also present at the briefing were PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, political secretary to the PAS president Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman and PAS central committee member Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi.
When asked whether PAS would consider contesting independently in the next general election if no agreement could be reached with Bersatu, Hadi insisted the party would not stand alone as PAS remained chairman of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
However, he stopped short of ruling out the possibility of Bersatu’s position within the coalition changing before the 16th General Election.
“That is a possibility which cannot be answered now because it has not happened yet. Let it happen first. In politics there are many possibilities. But for the future, Bersatu can no longer behave as it did before,” he said.
Hadi also acknowledged mounting perceptions that PAS had twice been politically disadvantaged by Bersatu in previous electoral arrangements, though he said PAS had continued exercising restraint.
Nevertheless, he warned that such patience was not unlimited.
The Marang Member of Parliament further revealed internal frustrations over Bersatu’s alleged weakness during previous state and by-elections, claiming the party frequently demanded a large allocation of seats despite lacking sufficient grassroots machinery to support election campaigns.
“They have candidates, but the number of workers is far too small compared with the thousands of members they claim to have. In the end, when we went down to the ground, it was PAS members who were doing the actual work. That is the reality, and we are considering all these aspects,” he said.
He stressed that PAS would not simply bow to Bersatu’s demands regarding coalition matters.
Hadi disclosed that PAS had formally sent a letter to Bersatu on 9 May and had also raised the matter during Perikatan Nasional leadership meetings.
Although no deadline had been imposed for Bersatu to respond, PAS has tasked its Syura Council, election committee and research division with conducting a more detailed assessment of the issue.
Despite the latest tensions, Hadi expressed confidence that the dispute would not weaken PAS or damage Perikatan Nasional ahead of the next general election.
“I do not think this will affect Perikatan Nasional. We are still contesting under the Perikatan Nasional name and PAS remains within it.
“PAS is the main driving force of Perikatan Nasional and the leadership has the right to determine the coalition’s direction in elections,” he said. - May 22, 2026
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