00:00PAS's decision to sever ties with Bersatu shows that Perikatad National is unable to present itself as a convincing option
00:09ahead of the 16th general election, says an analyst.
00:14Afifi Abdul Razak of University Uttara, Malaysia, said the breakdown in the PAS-Bersatu relationship had tarnished the narrative of
00:23Malay-Muslim unity, one of PN's main appeals to voters.
00:27He said the split was a symptom of a deeper crisis in post-GE15 Malay politics, the absence of a
00:36truly united, disciplined and principled Malay-Muslim bloc as an alternative to the unity government.
00:43He told FMT the biggest losers are not PAS nor PN as a whole, but Malay voters who yearn for
00:51a strong and stable opposition because PN can no longer present itself as a cohesive and convincing bloc ahead of
01:00GE16.
01:02Meanwhile, another analyst, Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting, said while PAS could now position itself as
01:12PN's cornerstone, doing so would cause the coalition to resemble a PAS plus alliance rather than a multi-party coalition.
01:22He added that a weakened Bersatu will create divisions, particularly in mixed states such as Selangor and Johor, and that
01:31without PAS, it no longer has the political oxygen to survive.
01:36However, he did not rule out the possibility that the PAS-Bersatu split could create an opportunity for UMNO to
01:44regain the support of Malay voters who are disappointed with Bersatu and remain sceptical of PAS.
01:53Shruti Menon, FMT
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