Malaysia

Perlis turmoil shows Malay-only coalitions do not guarantee political stability

Internal conflict within the Perikatan Nasional-led Perlis government has exposed the limits of race-based political alliances

Updated 8 months ago · Published on 26 Dec 2025 4:32PM

Perlis turmoil shows Malay-only coalitions do not guarantee political stability
PKR leader argues that unity among Malay parties alone is no safeguard against instability - December 26, 2025

THE ongoing political crisis in Perlis demonstrates that a coalition made up solely of Malay political parties does not automatically ensure stability, according to Johor PKR information chief Fakharuddin Moslim.

Fakharuddin said the turmoil unfolding in the northern state clearly contradicts claims that political unity based on race and religion guarantees harmony in governance.

“Perlis is administered by Perikatan Nasional (PN), which consists of Malay and Islamic political parties, namely PAS and Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia).

“There are no Chinese, no DAP and no Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in this PN-led state, yet PN is still fighting among itself.

“So this PN coalition is not as stable as they claim, and this also proves that a Malay-only coalition does not promise stability and harmony,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Fakharuddin, who is also head of the PKR Tenggara branch, was commenting on the political deadlock in Perlis following the resignation of Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli, who is also the state assemblyman for Sanglang, on Thursday.

He said it was puzzling that parties within PN could descend into infighting to the extent of toppling their own state government, despite the small size of the Perlis state assembly.

“At the 15th General Election, out of 15 state assembly seats contested, PN won 14 seats and only one seat was secured by Pakatan Harapan (PH).

“So these 14 seats should have been more than enough to form a strong and stable PN government in Perlis. Moreover, all 14 PN assemblymen in Perlis are Malay and Muslim,” he said.

Fakharuddin also highlighted reports that Perlis state assembly Speaker Rus’sele Eizan had appealed to the Election Commission to hold by-elections in three constituencies following the internal crisis within PN.

He said the request stemmed from unexpected vacancies that have affected the ruling coalition’s majority.

“The vacancies involve Chuping, Bintong and Guar Sanji after the memberships of three assemblymen, namely Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji), were terminated with immediate effect when their PAS memberships were annulled from Wednesday,” he said.

Fakharuddin said the developments further underscored the need for political maturity and inclusive governance, warning that internal power struggles could undermine public confidence and disrupt the administration of the state. - December 26, 2025

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