Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk of Universiti Sains Malaysia said that despite being led by Bersatu, PN failed to woo the non-Malays in the 2022 general election and multiple state elections, including the six state polls in August 2023.

This raises the question of whether PAS taking the PN chairmanship is the real issue, he said.

“Although Bersatu was leading PN, the coalition still largely won in Malay-majority areas only. So the pattern of support may not change much even if the PN leadership changes over to PAS,” he told FMT.

Former PAS leader Zuhdi Marzuki had said the Islamic party was not ready to take the PN chairmanship or nominate a prime ministerial candidate for the next general election (GE16).

Zuhdi voiced concern that PAS leading PN would put off non-Malay and non-Muslim voters, saying Bersatu needed to continue leading PN to balance political sentiments.

The PN chairmanship has been vacant since Jan 1 after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin relinquished the post.

Muhyiddin announced his resignation shortly after the political turmoil in Perlis which culminated in the menteri besar’s post changing hands from PAS to Bersatu.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has since laid claim to the PN chairman’s post for the party, with PAS vice-president and Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar among the names being bandied about.

Azeem believed the notion that PAS leading PN would stave off non-Malay support was unproven and merely a perception, but Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said this concern was based on current political realities among non-Malay and East Malaysian voters.

“PN needs a leader who can balance between the parties in the coalition so that he’s not seen as siding with one component, which risks alienating certain allies and voters,” said Azmi.