THE cracks within PN may be widening, but the battle lines have become even clearer.
As Johor heads into a crucial state election, PAS appears willing to put aside its fractured ties with Bersatu for one overriding objective: stopping PH, particularly DAP, from tightening its grip on the state.
In a sign that old rivalries continue to outweigh fresh political wounds, PAS leaders are urging supporters to back Bersatu candidates in selected seats despite the recent collapse of cooperation between the two parties.
According to PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden, PAS members should continue supporting Bersatu candidates in selected Johor state seats.
He therefore urged PAS members and supporters to cast their votes for PN candidates in the 33 constituencies contested by the coalition, regardless of whether the candidate represents Bersatu.
“What’s more important is we must not let PH win. Between Bersatu and PH, PH is worse. Bersatu is still okay although we’ve ended our political cooperation,” he said recently.
His remarks followed PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s call on party members and supporters to back BN candidates in constituencies where PN is not fielding candidates.
However, PAS has opted not to participate in Bersatu’s election campaign efforts.
Note that in the Johor polls, both BN and PH are contesting all 56 state seats, while PN is putting up candidates in 33 constituencies.
This sudden unity among UMNO, PAS and Bersatu will certainly spell tough times ahead for PH.
Perhaps the direness of the situation was reflected in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s latest plea for Johorians to give PH another chance to rule the state, which a number of netizens pointed out as a sign of desperation.
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Whether this tactical convergence among PAS, Bersatu and even BN supporters will be enough to blunt PH’s challenge remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that ideological differences have temporarily taken a back seat to electoral arithmetic.
With every seat likely to count, the outcome could provide an early indication of how Malaysia’s increasingly fluid political alliances may shape future elections. —June 29, 2026
