SHAH ALAM – With Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stepping aside, the spotlight now shifts to who will take the helm of PN, with analysts debating whether the coalition is heading towards a Pas-led future or a leadership reset centred on opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.
Political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun agreed that the successor is expected to come from Pas, the coalition’s dominant party in terms of parliamentary seats.
“Pas taking over would finally formalise what arguably should have happened after the last election: the component party with the most seats leading the coalition.
“It may also make negotiations with Umno and potentially even PKR, easier, as Bersatu has often been the sticking point for PN,” Oh said when contacted.
He highlighted that a Pas-led PN could consolidate Malay support and further marginalise opposition coalitions such as Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan.
“If the chairmanship moves to Pas, it signals a Pas-led PN heading into the next general election. Otherwise, things largely remain the same,” he added.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mazlan Ali echoed a similar view, noting that the Perlis crisis and the resignations of Muhyiddin and former Johor menteri besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal have weakened Bersatu internally.
“Although Pas has stated that leaders from their party are qualified to lead PN, I believe Hamzah will be appointed as the new PN chairman,” he said.
Mazlan added that the cooperation between Pas and Bersatu, despite past tensions, remained essential to ensure smooth governance at the federal level.
“Everything will go smoothly if Pas is willing to set aside the Perlis political conflict and work closely with Hamzah’s leadership,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari described Muhyiddin’s resignation as timely and confirmed that Pas will nominate a candidate to lead the coalition into its next phase ahead of GE16.
The upcoming leadership decision will determine whether PN charts a new path under Pas’ guidance or continues along its existing trajectory, with strategic recalibration likely to shape the coalition’s electoral and political strategies in the months ahead.
Earlier, Muhyiddin announced that he will step down as chairman effective Jan 1, 2026, expressing gratitude for the support of component parties since PN’s formation.
His resignation was confirmed by Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, who said Muhyiddin had notified leaders via the party’s supreme council WhatsApp group and declined calls to reconsider.
The announcement triggered a series of state-level resignations. Sahruddin, former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Negeri Sembilan PN chairman Mohamad Hanifah Abu Baker all confirmed they would step down in line with Muhyiddin’s departure.
At the central level, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali will also relinquish his role as PN secretary-general, signalling a wider leadership reshuffle.