Conflicting Bersatu-PAS statements show PN ‘heading for split’, analysts say

They say that the issue is not merely technical, but highlights fundamental weaknesses and signals a deepening leadership crisis.

Analysts said PN’s poor communication and disjointed messaging reveal a fragile coalition on the verge of splitting.

PETALING JAYA:

 Analysts say Perikatan Nasional (PN) appears to be “heading for a split” following a breakdown in communication discipline between Bersatu and PAS, which have issued conflicting statements over the coalition’s chairmanship.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said the lack of a unified narrative was not just a technical issue but a sign of fundamental structural weakness and an increasingly serious leadership crisis.

“PN has failed to demonstrate communication discipline and to unify its political messaging. As a result, it appears directionless,” he told FMT.

“This portrays the coalition as a fragile bloc that is merely waiting to split. In politics, perception is everything, and the prevailing perception now is that PN cannot manage its internal differences.”

He said it might be time for PN to impose a “gag order”, allowing only the proposed presidential council to issue official statements.

“Without such firm measures, PN will continue to drown in the confusion created by its own narratives, accelerating the collapse of its credibility in the eyes of the public,” he said.

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia expressed a similar view, describing the public display of conflicting positions as “extraordinary” and unprecedented in the history of Bersatu-PAS cooperation.

He said the failure to coordinate even basic information showed a lack of cohesion in making major decisions involving PN’s future.

“It creates the perception that there is no genuinely close working relationship between Bersatu and PAS at present,” he said.

“In the past, we never saw such open contradictions, where one party makes a claim and the other immediately denies it.”

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin claimed yesterday that his party and PAS had agreed to abolish the position of PN chairman as part of efforts to restructure the coalition, according to a letter dated Jan 27.

He said the restructuring would see Bersatu lead the presidential council, while PAS would chair the executive council.

However, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man rejected his claim, saying PAS had only agreed to strengthen the presidential council for the time being.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan meanwhile said that the party could not confirm its agreement to all of the details outlined in the letter. - FMT