A power vacuum has opened at the heart of Malaysia’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition following outgoing chairman Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to step down, triggering an intense debate over succession that could shape the opposition bloc’s fortunes heading into the 16th general election (GE16), due by February 2028.
Muhyiddin, Malaysia’s eighth prime minister, announced on Tuesday (Dec 30) that he would resign as PN chairman effective Jan 1, marking a pivotal moment for the coalition he helped form in 2020. His departure has reignited long-simmering tensions between PN’s two dominant forces — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) — over leadership, ideology and electoral strategy.
Within hours of Muhyiddin’s announcement, a cascade of resignations followed. Former international trade and industry minister Mohamed Azmin Ali stepped down as PN secretary-general and relinquished his post as Selangor PN liaison committee chairman. Several Bersatu state leaders also resigned from their PN leadership roles, including Faizal Azumu in Perak, Sahruddin Jamal in Johor and Hanifah Abu Baker in Negeri Sembilan.
Together, the exits underscored the fragility of PN’s internal cohesion and intensified scrutiny over who can credibly lead the opposition coalition into the next national polls.
PAS was quick to signal its readiness to assume the chairmanship, with party leaders confirming they will nominate a candidate to replace Muhyiddin. PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said the nominee need not be the party president but must be capable of uniting PN’s component parties.
“It does not necessarily have to be the party president, but an individual who is believed to be able to galvanise the collective strength of the component parties under PN,” he said.
Yet political observers remain deeply divided over whether PAS — an Islamist party with strong support in the Malay heartlands — can project itself as a nationally acceptable leader of a multi-racial coalition.
Political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Muhyiddin’s exit raised urgent questions over PN’s de facto prime ministerial candidate for GE16.
“In a multi-racial society like Malaysia, the optics of a PAS prime minister (candidate) would not help the coalition gain more votes in constituencies where there are many non-Malay voters,” he said.
“There is a very big question mark now. This is a situation that can spark a long conflict and result in the collapse of PN.”
PAS has long struggled to broaden its appeal beyond its Malay-Muslim base. Its leaders’ rhetoric on race and religion has drawn criticism for heightening non-Muslim anxieties about the prospect of an Islamic theocracy, limiting its ability to win support in urban and ethnically diverse seats.
PN was formed in February 2020 and currently comprises Bersatu, PAS, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party. The latter two are widely regarded as minor players, leaving Bersatu and PAS to dominate internal decision-making.
Muhyiddin, 78, remains Bersatu president, while Azmin Ali serves as its secretary-general. However, Bersatu itself is deeply fractured, split between factions loyal to Muhyiddin, deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, and Azmin.
Bersatu supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah dismissed concerns about PAS taking over PN’s leadership, arguing that the Islamist party already plays a central role in the coalition.
“PAS heads PN in many states, including Pahang where I come from. PAS has more MPs than Bersatu,” he said, noting that Bersatu candidates in Kelantan and Terengganu had contested under the PAS banner in previous elections.
Muhyiddin’s resignation comes against the backdrop of a bitter political crisis in Perlis, a northeastern state governed by PN. The turmoil saw PAS assemblyman Mohd Shukri Ramli resign as chief minister after eight statutory declarations — signed by three PAS and five Bersatu lawmakers — withdrew support for him. Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah subsequently took over the post.
PAS responded by expelling the three assemblymen who signed the declarations, while grassroots anger boiled over. Some PAS members accused Bersatu of betrayal and called for an end to cooperation between the two parties.
The Perlis ruler, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, intervened on Sunday, urging all parties to halt speculation and allegations “for the good of the state”.
The episode has become a flashpoint in the broader power struggle within PN, with analysts viewing it as a catalyst — if not a pretext — for Muhyiddin’s exit.
Despite PAS’s stated ambition to lead, many analysts believe PN deputy chairman and Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin is the most natural successor. The 68-year-old former home minister is also Bersatu’s deputy president and is widely regarded as having working relations with PAS leaders.
Political scientist Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said Hamzah enjoys cross-party acceptability.
“PAS may say they want their own leader, which is fair. But if PAS truly does that, then PN becomes PAS-dominated and PAS-led. Is PAS ready for that perception?” she asked.
She added that Bersatu continues to function as PN’s bridge to moderate and non-Malay voters.
However, PAS grassroots sentiment may tell a different story. Analyst Azmi Hassan of the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research argued that rank-and-file members would resist a Bersatu-led PN.
“If Hamzah is agreed upon, it would show PAS has no capable leaders to take over PN — and PAS does not want to portray that,” he said. “Most likely, PAS will take over.”
Awang Azman echoed that view, noting the imbalance in parliamentary strength between PAS and Bersatu.
“I don’t think the PAS grassroots will want anyone from Bersatu as there will be questions over how the minority can rule the majority,” he said.
PN’s internal tensions are all the more striking given its strong showing in the 2022 general election. Riding the so-called “Green Wave” driven largely by PAS, the coalition secured 74 seats in the 222-member Parliament, emerging as the second-largest bloc behind Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan.
PAS won 43 seats — a gain of 25 — while Bersatu secured 31 seats. However, Bersatu’s parliamentary strength later fell to 25 after six MPs defected to Anwar’s government in 2023, weakening its leverage within PN.
Observers note that while PAS delivered PN’s electoral surge, its dominance also risks limiting the coalition’s growth beyond conservative Malay constituencies.
ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute visiting fellow Amrita Malhi has warned that PAS’s “exclusionary narratives” and “chauvinistic statements” have alienated minorities, undermining confidence that non-Muslims would be secure under PAS rule.
Several PAS figures have been floated as potential candidates, including deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, Terengganu chief minister Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and Kedah chief minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, 78, is widely seen as unlikely to contest the position due to poor health.
Tuan Ibrahim said the decision would be deliberated by PN’s supreme council, emphasising unity over personalities.
“What is important is that everybody works together to strengthen PN,” he said.
While Azmi Hassan believes Tuan Ibrahim’s seniority gives him an edge, others are less convinced. Syaza Shukri questioned whether any PAS candidate — including Tuan Ibrahim — commands sufficient cross-party support.
Muhyiddin’s resignation also intersects with his ongoing legal troubles. He faces multiple charges of abuse of power and corruption involving RM232.5 million, with his trial set to begin in March 2026.
Analysts say these cases, combined with Bersatu’s factional infighting and the Perlis fallout, have steadily eroded his authority within PN.
“There has been a lot of pressure on him in the past year to step down,” said James Chin, professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania. “It is quite clear that he has lost support in the coalition.”
As PN grapples with leadership succession, the stakes are high. Whether PAS asserts dominance or a compromise candidate emerges may determine not only the coalition’s unity but also its viability as a governing alternative in Malaysia’s next general election.
