Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Azmil Tayeb said that reasoning was irrelevant since PN’s preparation for the next general election would rely heavily on PAS’s grassroots and machinery.

“The tactic of spooking non-Malay voters over PAS makes these parties no different from DAP, which uses the same ploy,” he told FMT.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin’s former senior aide, Marzuki Mohamad, had said that Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) were opposed to PAS taking over leadership of PN.

Marzuki said Gerakan and MIPP wanted Muhyiddin to remain at the helm through the PN presidential council, to balance PAS’s hardline image.

However, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said keeping Muhyiddin, or a Bersatu figure, at the top in PN would not change the electoral chances of Gerakan and MIPP.

“It would mean the status quo, with both Gerakan and MIPP remaining unsuccessful in attracting the non-Malays,” he said.

Azmi said the two non-Malay components of PN should try giving PAS the chance to lead the coalition, since the Islamic party had obtained non-Malay support when it was with DAP in Pakatan Rakyat.

“It’s possible that Gerakan and MIPP would fare better in wooing the non-Malays by trying something new.”

PAS laid claim to the PN chairmanship after Muhyiddin stepped down from the post on Jan 1.

However, Muhyiddin intends to abolish the chairmanship as a whole and change the coalition’s leadership structure, with the PN presidential council making executive decisions and the Supreme Council only overseeing administrative affairs.

He claimed that Bersatu and PAS had agreed to this, although the Islamic party denied even discussing the proposal with Muhyiddin.