No natural long-term ally for PAS, analyst says

 

There might not be any suitable long-term coalition partner for PAS, said a political analyst commenting on the party's split with Bersatu.

International Islamic University Malaysia political science academic Syaza Shukri said cooperation with Umno remains possible, but both parties would first have to resolve the question of leadership within any alliance.

"Plus, they are going after the same Malay votes, so it's not extending either party's reach," she noted.

PAS announced an end to its six-year-long political cooperation with Bersatu on Monday, with the Islamist party now exploring potential electoral pacts in the interest of ummah unity ahead of the upcoming state polls and general election.

Yesterday, Johor PAS chief Mahfodz Mohamed indicated that his party might enter an informal pact with Umno and several other parties to avoid multi-cornered contests in the upcoming state election.

Asked whether the arrangement meant PAS would be going solo in the state polls, Mahfodz said the party had no such intention.

Last month, BN chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the coalition would contest all 56 state seats in Johor.

Syaza said PAS could potentially work with almost any party in a limited electoral pact, but sustaining a long-term political partnership would be far more difficult.

Syaza Shukri

"At the end of the day, if it's just an electoral pact to avoid multi-cornered fights, I think that PAS can work with almost anyone.

"But (when it comes to a) long-term cooperation, I have doubts.

"I think PAS needs to gain 112 (seats in the Dewan Rakyat) on their own, otherwise it would be a cycle of cooperation and then breaking up again," she said.

Syaza added that any partnership with non-Malay-based parties would likely require PAS to be seen as the dominant force.

Not everything is PAS’ fault

Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst P Sivamurugan agreed with Syaza’s views, saying PAS appears most comfortable when it leads an alliance.

However, he warned against “oversimplifying” political realities by placing the blame solely on PAS.

“Alliances often break down because of competing ambitions, leadership dynamics, and electoral strategies.

“The PAS-Bersatu split appears to reflect structural differences rather than the shortcomings of only one partner,” Sivamurugan added.

P Sivamurugan

He told Malaysiakini that based on PAS’ history of cooperation, the Islamist party tends to prioritise its own interests, which often creates tension with its partners.

But given the dynamics of coalition politics in Malaysia, he said such situations are nothing remarkable.

“These accusations (that PAS is a bad coalition partner) are very much part of the political game.

“Opponents will naturally highlight PAS’ past breakups, while the party would argue that it acts according to its principles and long-term objectives,” he commented, adding that narratives usually depend on the side telling the story.

Bersatu messed up

Syaza further said that Bersatu played a part in the breakup as the party had relied on a position of strength going into the alliance with PAS in 2020.

She noted that Bersatu had relied heavily on party president Muhyiddin Yassin's leadership and its financial resources to sustain PN.

However, Muhyiddin later stepped down from his position as the PN chair while Bersatu’s bank accounts had been frozen since 2023 due to investigations linked to the Jana Wibawa programme.

Syaza said that despite these developments, Bersatu continued to act as if it were on equal footing with PAS, thus “dooming” their relationship. - FMT