Kelantan PAS Youth chief Firdaus Nawi has described the return of Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin as parliamentary opposition leader as a "knockout blow" to Bersatu, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two Perikatan Nasional partners ahead of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
Firdaus said the announcement of Hamzah's appointment by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was not a routine statement but a clear signal of where real power lies within the opposition bloc.
"It was a 'knockout blow' to Bersatu. It sent a clear message that PAS remains the main force setting the direction of opposition politics, while Bersatu is losing value and influence," Firdaus was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian in Kota Bharu.
Firdaus was responding to Marzuki Mohamad, a former principal private secretary to Muhyiddin Yassin, who had accused Hadi of acting like PN's "supreme leader." Marzuki criticised Hadi's announcements on Saturday regarding Hamzah's reappointment and the decision to allow Hamzah's newly formed Parti Wawasan Negara to use the PN logo in the upcoming state polls.
Hamzah, a former Bersatu deputy president, launched Parti Wawasan Negara at a convention in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, where Hadi announced that Hamzah would reclaim the opposition leader post, taking over from PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who will remain PN chairman.
The decisions have raised serious questions over Bersatu's continued influence within the coalition and whether PAS is now unilaterally setting the agenda ahead of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections scheduled for August.
Firdaus accused some Bersatu leaders of being more interested in attacking PAS and Hadi than repairing ties within the opposition bloc. "They expected PAS to become weak once ties between PAS and Bersatu started to crack. But the reality is that PAS continues to move forward with its own strength," he said.
He noted that the presence of PN partners Gerakan and MIPP at the Parti Wawasan Negara launch convention demonstrated that PAS still holds significant influence within the coalition. Firdaus added that some Bersatu leaders were too caught up in their own political games and had failed to understand grassroots sentiment.
The rift between the two parties has widened significantly since PAS's central committee decided last week to end political cooperation with Bersatu. However, both remain nominally part of Perikatan Nasional, creating confusion over candidate selection, logo usage, and campaign strategy for the coming state elections.
Analysts have observed that the internal discord within the opposition alliance could benefit the ruling Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional coalition, which has begun finalising its own seat allocations and candidate lists for both states.
Sources: Free Malaysia Today, Sinar Harian
