SHAH ALAM – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) may still be part of Perikatan Nasional (PN) on paper, but political analysts say the party risks becoming increasingly irrelevant as Pas cements its position as the coalition's dominant force following Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin's retention as opposition leader.
The decision by Pas and the Reset movement to keep Hamzah in the role despite his exit from Bersatu has fuelled speculation that power within PN is no longer centred on the party founded by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Political analyst Anis Anwar Suhaimi said the Pas-Bersatu-Reset arrangement should not be viewed solely as a relationship between parties, but also as one built on long-standing trust among political leaders.
"During PN’s formation in the COVID-19 period, Pas was not only working with Bersatu as a party, but also with leaders such as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Hamzah, who were all operating under the Bersatu umbrella at the time," he told Sinar Daily.
However, he said Bersatu’s internal split had altered the coalition’s power dynamics, with Pas now emerging as its central force.
"Pas has effectively decided to end cooperation with Bersatu at the component-party level while maintaining the broader PN framework. It is no longer merely one of the coalition’s major partners. It is increasingly becoming the nucleus of power within PN," he said.
Anis said retaining Hamzah as opposition leader was intended to preserve parliamentary continuity and prevent Bersatu’s internal dispute from disrupting the wider opposition bloc. He added that Bersatu could remain within PN while steadily losing influence.
"A party can remain formally within a coalition but become functionally less relevant if it no longer controls the coalition’s direction, narrative, leadership structure or electoral machinery," he said. "In Bersatu’s case, strategic control within PN is increasingly moving towards Pas."
He noted that Pas now holds the coalition chairmanship and has significant influence over candidate authorisation and the use of the PN logo, giving it a stronger position heading into the 16th General Election (GE16).
Political analyst Oh Ei Sun also described Bersatu as "rapidly fading into irrelevance," pointing to its shrinking parliamentary presence and absence from both federal and state governments.
"So Bersatu is welcome to leave if it so chooses, or it can humiliatingly remain in PN under the noses of both Pas and one of its own fired leaders," Oh said.
Last week, Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang announced that Pas and the Reset movement had agreed to retain Hamzah as opposition leader, a decision widely seen as reinforcing Pas’ growing influence within the coalition.