Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin will return as the opposition leader just two months after relinquishing the post, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang confirmed on Saturday.
Speaking at the Reset convention in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, Hadi said PAS had sought the views of its own MPs as well as MPs aligned with Hamzah, including 13 who remain with Bersatu, before making the decision.
“We sought the views of (other) MPs, not just PAS. Therefore, PAS has agreed to appoint Hamzah as the opposition leader,” Hadi told attendees at the convention.
The announcement comes amid a shifting political landscape ahead of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, with the opposition bloc recalibrating its leadership structure following recent upheavals within Perikatan Nasional.
Hadi also confirmed that PAS has decided to maintain Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as the Perikatan Nasional chairman. Samsuri, a PAS vice-president, took over the PN chairmanship in February after Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down from the post.
The Terengganu menteri besar had succeeded Hamzah as the opposition leader last month, serving only briefly before the role now returns to the Larut MP.
Saturday’s development follows PAS’s decision earlier this week to end its political cooperation with Bersatu, though both parties remain components of Perikatan Nasional. Following the termination of their alliance, some Bersatu leaders had called for Muhyiddin to be reappointed as PN chairman, but PAS has opted to keep Samsuri in the role.
Hadi further revealed that PAS will announce the entry of several senior politicians to the party later on Saturday in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, in a move that could reshape the electoral battlefield for the upcoming state polls.
“They comprise senior leaders of other parties, former ministers, former state executive councillors, as well as NGO leaders and unionists,” Hadi said.
“These will be some shocking decisions. We will initiate a change. A change that will mobilise our machinery towards catalysing change to save our country,” he added.
The return of Hamzah as opposition leader signals a consolidation of the opposition’s front ahead of a competitive Johor and Negeri Sembilan state election season, with multiple coalitions now preparing to contest seats across both states.
The Johor state election will be held on July 11, with nomination day on June 27 and early voting on July 7. Negeri Sembilan polls on August 1, with nominations on July 18 and early voting on July 28.
Sources: Free Malaysia Today, Bernama, Election Commission
