Pn Govt Would Spell Disaster For Malaysia Say Analysts

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Perikatan National’s leadership has struggled for consensus at the highest levels, creating tensions between PAS and Bersatu, says Hisomuddin Bakar.
PETALING JAYA: A Perikatan Nasional government would spell disaster for the country given its internal strife and lack of clear policies, say analysts.

Hisomuddin Bakar, think tank Ilham Centre’s executive director, said recent disagreements including over the opposition coalition’s support for Najib Razak, showed its component parties were at odds with one another.
Likewise, PAS’s unilateral decision to appoint Dr Mahathir Mohamad as advisor to SG4, a grouping of the four state governments it leads, has seen dissension within PN’s ranks.
There is also disagreement over its prime ministerial candidate for the next general election, he said.

“These actions reflect a lack of consensus at PN’s highest levels.
“Key decisions are being made without proper deliberation by the PN leadership, creating tensions between PAS and Bersatu,” he told FMT.
Hisomuddin was commenting on Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim’s warning that the country would be in “extreme danger” if PN wrested control of Putrajaya.
The PKR leader said PN may even end up “destroying democracy” if the government is led by the same leaders who pushed for Parliament’s suspension at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic four years ago.
Another weakness, Hisomuddin said, was PN’s failure to capitalise on the support it garnered at the 15th general election in 2022. The opposition benefited from a significant swing in Malay voters, including protest ballots cast by disillusioned Umno supporters.
PN’s youth wings, he said, are overly focused on attacking rivals, particularly Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, instead of presenting concrete policy proposals. This, he said, “risks alienating younger voters who seek solutions, not rhetoric.”
“While PN leaders frequently criticise the unity government, they lack a coherent set of alternative policies, particularly for addressing the needs of young voters and Malay-majority constituencies.”
It does not help that PN has grown somewhat complacent in dealing with the concerns of voters, he said, adding that the coalition is “too comfortable with the idea that discontent will naturally translate into votes.”
“This complacency could cost them dearly in GE16.”
Meanwhile, Lau Zhe Wei of the International Islamic University Malaysia believes that a change of leadership in PN would be futile since the coalition would be limited to appointing one of several key figures, namely Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, or its vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar to the top post.
Lau said these leaders are incapable of improving the coalition’s reputation.
He cited Gerakan as an example, saying the party has been unable to stage a comeback because their young and enthusiastic leaders are too closely associated with the party’s old guard.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the coalition is saddled with “baggage”, and has been unable to manage the states under its control well enough.
“It’s not about how old they are, but how well they manage voters.” - FMT

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