Balancing act awaits Samsuri as PN chairman, say analysts

 They say the Terengganu menteri besar will need to strike a balance between appealing to the ulamas and non-Malay voters.

PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was named PN chairman yesterday, filling the post which had been vacant since Jan 1. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar’s biggest challenge as Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman will be striking a balance between gaining the acceptance of the ulama faction in PAS and wooing Malay fence-sitters as well as the non-Malay electorate, analysts say.

They also said his appointment was to help the opposition coalition shed its hardline image.

They said he was put in charge of PN to allay fears among component parties such as Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party over the dominance of the ulama faction.

“Because he is a technocrat, Samsuri is perceived as more neutral and has the potential to restore PN’s image.

“But whether he will be accepted by the ulama faction is another question altogether,” Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting told FMT.

He said PAS tended to revere the ulama, and that Samsuri’s previous role as political secretary to party president Abdul Hadi Awang meant that he was still under the Marang MP’s influence.

However, he questioned whether Samsuri, a PAS vice-president, would be able to emerge from Hadi’s shadow and chart his own path.

“Otherwise, the PN chairmanship will be viewed as just an extension of Hadi.

“If Samsuri excels in his role, he can help PN become a more organised front, but if he fails, it will hurt the coalition’s image and reinforce the perception that PAS is power-hungry.”

Samsuri, the Terengganu menteri besar who has a background in aerospace engineering, was named PN chairman yesterday, succeeding Muhyiddin Yassin who resigned from the post effective Jan 1.

Mujibu Muis of Universiti Teknologi Mara said Samsuri’s background and personality would help PN win over fence-sitters and boost support for the coalition among conservative voters.

However, he said Samsuri would need to temper certain narratives and present policies relevant to Malaysia’s multicultural society to attract more non-Malay voters.

“In the context of the non-Malay electorate, Samsuri can appeal to pragmatic voters, especially if he pushes for economic stability, security and better welfare,” he said.

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia however said Samsuri’s appointment would have little impact for PN.

He said the coalition had struggled to attract non-Malay support even under Muhyiddin’s leadership.

“And I think Muhyiddin is better when it comes to wooing the non-Malay electorate,” he said. - FMT