Analyst Oh Ei Sun says the Islamic party knows it can’t claim to lead the overall Malay-Muslim polity yet, necessitating its pact with Umno, but did not hesitate to part ways with Bersatu.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said that PAS, having grown remarkably prominent in recent years, would have its sights set on dominating the political arena, especially the Malay-Muslim segment of voters.
However, he believes the party led by Abdul Hadi Awang since 2002 recognises that it still falls short when it comes to wielding such dominance, thus necessitating its pact with Umno.
“I think PAS is simply being politically astute and adroit. Astute in the sense that it knows it’s not the right time yet to assume or try to attain the overall political leadership of the Malay-Muslim community. It still has to wait its turn.
“However, as we’ve seen in the past year, when PAS saw that the time was right for it to assume leadership of Perikatan Nasional, it did not hesitate to give Muhyiddin Yassin and Bersatu the boot and assume the mantle as PN chairman.
“Similarly, I think PAS feels it’s not the right time to claim leadership of the overall Malay-Muslim polity yet. That’s why it’s working with Umno,” he told FMT.
On the other hand, Oh said, PAS demonstrated its flexibility in rekindling ties with Umno despite the failure of two previous pacts between the two largest Malay-Muslim parties, including the Muafakat Nasional alliance.
“Why not another pact? And if they were to part ways again, no hard feelings, just as PAS said to Muhyiddin. Nowadays, you have to assume that everything is possible in politics.”
PAS has gone from holding 18 seats in the Dewan Rakyat in 2018 to 43 currently, the largest among all political parties, exhibiting its growing support especially in the Malay heartland.
The Islamic party has grown from strength to strength, particularly in the east coast and northern parts of the peninsula. It now leads the state governments of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
In the six state elections in 2023, it made crucial inroads in three, namely Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, a feat observers had said was proof of its growing prominence nationally.
In early June, PAS ended its political cooperation with Bersatu after months of turmoil between the two PN co-founders, although both parties remain components of the opposition coalition.
The PAS-led PN and Barisan Nasional have since reached a formal pact for the Negeri Sembilan state election, with both coalitions agreeing not to clash in any of the 36 seats up for grabs.
The Islamic party has however been in various pacts in the past, including the Pakatan Rakyat coalition with PKR and DAP from 2008 to 2015.
Umno pact shows PAS can’t lead outside its home base
Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan sees PAS’s new pact with Umno as proof that the former’s strength remains in its home base, particularly Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.
He said PAS knows it cannot go solo at this time and requires pacts with other parties, especially in its endeavour to increase the little non-Malay support it holds.
“One thing is for sure: PAS cannot lead outside the four states it governs, and those states have nothing much to shout about compared to others governed by Umno or Pakatan Harapan. More so, at the national level.
“So PAS, at this particular juncture, sees BN as its best bet, since Bersatu has its own internal problems, which have been detrimental to PN,” he said.
Oh said alliances of convenience will remain a mainstay of Malaysian politics given the increasingly fragmented political landscape, which will likely continue to result in hung parliaments after general elections.
“I would say there should be no hard feelings one way or another if political parties or coalitions, which are erstwhile political rivals, come together before or after elections, and even to divorce before elections,” he added. - FMT
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