PN chairmanship lifts Samsuri’s national profile but PM path remains uncertain

SHAH ALAM – The appointment of Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman raises his national standing but does not guarantee a clear path to becoming the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate in the next general election.

Political analyst Dr Mohamad Hafis Amat Simin said the move was widely seen as a strategic effort by Perikatan Nasional to project a more professional and stable leadership image at the national level while strengthening the opposition coalition’s internal structure.

However, he stressed that the route to becoming Pas president or PN’s prime ministerial nominee was not automatic.

“The position of Pas president still depends on the party’s internal processes and hierarchy, while the prime ministerial candidate is determined by parliamentary support, consensus among component parties and overall public acceptance,” he said.

Hafis added that the appointment nevertheless placed Samsuri among the key figures of a new generation of PN leadership who could be considered in the future if his performance and public support continued to improve.

He said this in comments to Sinar Harian on Monday.

On Sunday, Samsuri, who is also a Pas vice-president, was appointed PN chairman effective Feb 22 replacing Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who stepped down in January.

Hafis said Samsuri brought several strengths to the role, including a professional background, a calm leadership style and a stable record in state administration since 2018, all of which added value to PN’s efforts to build voter confidence.

He said Samsuri was known as a leader with technocratic experience in state governance, giving him an advantage in steering a large political organisation such as PN.

“Among his main strengths are a leadership approach that is composed, fact-based and relatively free from prolonged controversy.

“His academic background and experience in state administration give him an edge in leading a large organisation like PN during challenging times,” he stated.