Editor’s Note: In stating that PAS shall take over the Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership and decide on its chairmanship – whether the candidate hails from a clerical or technocrat background – Tan Sri Hadi Awang revealed that PAS is still in good terms with Bersatu (and even UMNO) despite the Perlis political crisis.
“God willing, we want to unite the Malays, Muslims and non-Muslims who aren’t extremists. That’s our agenda,” the Islamist party’s supremo told the media after his Friday sermon at the Rusila Mosque in his Marang constituency.
It is as good as anyone’s guess if the 78-year-old is downplaying the rift in the opposition coalition which culminated in Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin relinquishing his chairmanship effective Jan 1 or should non-Muslim Malaysians be unduly concerned of PAS becoming more powerful than ever.
Well, reading PAS’ mind is never an easy task given the ill-health Hadi is still helming the party with no obvious successor in sight – a testament that political observers and detractors alike can say what they like but it is never easy ‘to undress’ PAS.
Such notion is fortified by this Facebook post by a seasoned mainstream political journalist who shared what she described as “the PAS conundrum”.
— 0 —
“I AM not a PAS member but I know very well how PAS works, having been in the inside running its media – and now, watching them from the outside – with many of them as my friends and acquaintances.
It is a machine which can only be understood once you have entered its doors. As someone who has studied machineries of all political parties, I can say PAS and UMNO are the only political parties in this country whose machineries are well-oiled.
DAP comes next but DAP’s machinery has some rust since Karpal Singh left. There is no uniting factor, for now.
However, to many, PAS is an enigma. Especially to the mass media reporters and analysts who think that they can predict PAS as they would any other political party. And yet, many a times they fail badly.
Remember how everyone thought the young Turks led by Mat Sabu (Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu) will take over PAS? Or how Hadi would play second grade to Muhyiddin in PN? Or how PAS will betray UMNO? Or how PAS will lose the elections and states?
Loyalty reigns in PAS
All these predictions failed despite being played up by the media.
And now, again, those who have no inkling how PAS works are at it again – predicting who will be the next PN chairman.
The current PN vacancy for a chairman is obviously going to be given to PAS but no one less than the one who will take over Hadi would be given that role.
And that person would be the Prime Minister (PM)-in-waiting of PAS.
PAS is a party which is run on loyalty – you are out if you are not loyal. Bai’ah (oath of allegiance) remains the order of the day and this is why the party is seen as the most stable and secure political party in the country despite it being headed by the ulama (Islamic scholars) fraternity.
The Klang Valley keyboards warriors can type all they want but unlike UMNO, PAS is untouched by them as its members and leaders only listen and obey to their leaders – and nobody else. – Jan 3, 2026
Main image credit: Malaysiakini
