PAS holding fire on Umno man in Ayer Kuning to keep alliance hopes alive, says analyst

 Yusri Ibrahim said the Islamic party is using the Ayer Kuning state seat by-election to convince Umno-BN that continuing to work with PH is not in their best interests.

Yusri Bakir of BN (left), KS Bawani of PSM and Abd Muhaimin Malek of PN are vying for the Ayer Kuning state seat in Perak. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

A political analyst claims PAS has refrained from aggressively attacking Umno during the Ayer Kuning by-election campaign, as the Islamic party may still be hoping to rekindle its alliance with the party.

PAS has fielded its Tapah division chief Abd Muhaimin Malek to represent Perikatan Nasional in the by-election, while challenger Yusri Bakir from Umno has been nominated to represent Barisan Nasional.

Yusri Ibrahim, of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, suggested that PAS might still be open to patching up its partnership with Umno, especially with the 16th general election (GE16) on the horizon – an idea echoed by several PAS leaders.

According to him, PAS may be holding back criticism in hopes of reviving the earlier pact between the two parties, Muafakat Nasional.

“That’s why Ayer Kuning is being used as a platform to convince Umno-BN that continuing their cooperation with Pakatan Harapan in the unity government is not in their best interests.

“In Ayer Kuning, PN has largely focussed its attacks on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and, more broadly, the Madani government.

“This, in turn, benefits Umno/BN by allowing them to concentrate on their campaign strategy with minimal disruptions, boosting their chances of securing the large majority they’re aiming for,” he said in a Facebook post.

Besides Muhaimin and Yusri, Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s candidate KS Bawani is also vying for the Ayer Kuning state seat in the April 26 by-election.

The analyst said PAS, with its decades of experience in the political scene, is likely playing a strategic game by keeping the door open for cooperation with Umno – especially as tensions rise within PN.

On Thursday, FMT reported that PAS may be positioning itself to exert greater influence within PN ahead of GE16, with a Bersatu source suggesting the move could stem from dissatisfaction with Bersatu’s leadership of the coalition.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi was quoted as saying that PAS believes it has the upper hand, especially as they see PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin as a weak leader due to his ongoing court cases.

A Bersatu source told FMT there have been internal discussions aimed at giving PN’s deputy chairman Hamzah Zainudin a more active role on the revamped committee if Muhyiddin’s leadership is called into question. Hamzah is Bersatu’s deputy president.

The source also said PAS had submitted its proposal to restructure the coalition’s leadership in February, but no decision have been reached. - FMT