PAS needs Wawasan even if PN is deregistered, says ex-Umno leader

PAS would likely continue working with Hamzah Zainudin’s Wawasan in the event Perikatan Nasional’s deregistration is upheld, a former Umno information chief said.

Shahril Hamdan said PAS would want an alliance with Wawasan as the latter would help prevent Umno from becoming too dominant in the event the two largest Malay parties decide to forge an electoral pact.

“PAS would want to maintain some distance (from Umno) and have more balanced (seat) negotiations,” Shahril said in the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.

An alliance with Wawasan, he said, would benefit PAS, given the Islamic party’s history with Umno under Muafakat Nasional.

MN was established seven years ago to consolidate the Malay-Muslim vote after Pakatan Harapan formed the federal government.

However, PAS decided to work with Bersatu – an Umno splinter party – to form PN following the fall of the PH government, leading to the appointment of Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister in 2020, which Umno viewed as a betrayal.

PAS also insisted on roping Bersatu into MN, which Umno opposed. The pact eventually ended in December 2022.

Shahril said PN’s deregistration would affect Hamzah as his party could lose some political clout.

But he said the former federal minister has options.

“Whatever we may think of Hamzah, he is an outstanding political operator,” he said.

Shahril’s co-host, Muda deputy president Zaidel Baharuddin, said PN’s deregistration, if it is upheld, would considerably reduce Hamzah’s bargaining power.

It could also make negotiations between Umno and PAS more straightforward, as there is no need to accommodate the wider coalition.

The Registrar of Societies deregistered PN earlier this week, although the High Court subsequently granted a stay pending judicial review, allowing the coalition to continue operating and use its logo.

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