Kedah exco reshuffle unnecessary despite PAS-Bersatu rift, say analysts

Analysts say there is no need to reshuffle the Kedah executive council as long as menteri besar Sanusi Nor’s administration continues to function smoothly, despite the breakdown in political ties between PAS and Bersatu.

Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said there were reasonable grounds for retaining the two Bersatu executive councillors, as they had not caused any issues that could undermine the stability of the state government.

“From one perspective, Sanusi’s decision to retain the two Bersatu executive councillors is not unusual, as they have not caused any problems and the state government’s administration continues to run smoothly,” he told FMT.

On Thursday, Sanusi said there was no need to reshuffle the Kedah executive council as the state administration was running smoothly. He also said he had received no directive from Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) top leadership to do so.

The two Bersatu representatives retained in the state executive council are Bukit Kayu Hitam assemblyman Halimaton Shaadiah Saad and Kubang Rotan assemblyman Salleh Saidin.

The development came after Kedah Umno proposed that the state government review the positions of the two Bersatu executive councillors, following the Kelantan government’s decision to drop state Bersatu chief and Ayer Lanas assemblyman Kamarudin Nor from its executive council, effective Nov 9.

Kedah Umno said the proposal warranted consideration to ensure consistency in the political and administrative approaches of the two PAS-led state governments.

Commenting further, Azmi drew a comparison with the federal government.

“Although Umno and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are now at odds, ministers from Barisan Nasional (BN) remain in Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet,” he said.

Referring to a possible Cabinet reshuffle following Loke Siew Fook’s resignation as transport minister on Nov 10, Azmi said he expected it to only involve DAP representatives, as Anwar might not want to alter the positions of ministers from Umno, which could give him an advantage in securing support.

“The same applies to Sanusi. He may not want to change the positions of the two Bersatu exco members because the state administration is running smoothly, despite the troubled relationship between PAS and Bersatu at the national level,” he said.

Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara also viewed Sanusi’s decision as an effort to prioritise governance over political disputes between the two parties.

“Sanusi’s decision shows that administrative priorities take precedence over political considerations,” he said, adding that the approach provided room for internal stability, although it might not be sustainable in the long term.

Ariff said administrative cooperation could continue independently of political ties, provided there was a clear understanding between the parties’ top leadership, as demonstrated by Sanusi’s use of his executive powers to maintain the arrangement.

“I do not foresee any major repercussions for PAS following Sanusi’s decision, as it concerns only administrative arrangements and does not involve electoral competition,” he added.

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