Malaysia's opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition is "on its last legs" as the Islamist party PAS tightens control, according to political analysts who warn that moderate parties may break away rather than submit to religious nationalist dominance.
The rift between PAS and Bersatu, the coalition's two main components, has escalated from private disagreements to public recriminations. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang recently criticized Bersatu over disputes involving Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Kedah, and Kelantan—states where the parties compete for Malay-Muslim votes.
"This serious dispute between PAS and Bersatu will lead to a direct split," Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia told Free Malaysia Today. The tensions have intensified over the past year with visible strain in Perlis and Negeri Sembilan.
The deeper conflict is strategic. PAS, with its powerful grassroots machinery and parliamentary strength, is repositioning around Hamzah Zainudin's Reset movement, potentially replacing Bersatu as its primary partner. That would marginalize former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Bersatu ahead of the next general election.
Analyst Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara explains the divergence: PAS wants to expand PN to include smaller Malay-Muslim parties, while Bersatu opposes opening the coalition, fearing Hamzah's return through alternative platforms. Growing PAS dominance creates unease among non-Malay voters and component parties.
If the split occurs, Bersatu faces three options: form a separate bloc with Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People's Party, contest elections independently, or seek cooperation with Pakatan Harapan or Barisan Nasional—once-unthinkable alliances that politics might soon require.
