PAS ada angka, tetapi tiada calon PM jelas, kata penganalisis

Permatang Puteh, 24 September 2021 — Despite having the most seats in the Malaysian Parliament, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) continues to struggle in nominating a clear candidate for Prime Minister, according to analysts. Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and Hamzah Zainudin are among the names that have been speculated as potential leaders, but the party's inability to firmly pin down a chief contender indicates ongoing concerns about who can secure the public's trust to govern the nation, said Syaza Shukri from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia.

The uncertainty surrounding this issue suggests that PAS has not yet gained enough confidence to solidify Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, the Begawan of Terengganu, as their main contender for Putrajaya. She emphasized that the problem lies not with a single individual, but rather reflects a broader leadership challenge faced by the Islamic-based party.

"It's not just about Samsuri as an individual or Hadi as the party president that's the issue; it's the systemic challenge PAS faces in finding someone who can lead a diverse Malaysia," she told FMT. This concern resurfaced recently after Bersatu Senior Vice President Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz questioned why PAS has yet to designate a Prime Minister candidate, even though several names have been floated previously.

Tun Faisal pointed out that President Hadi Awang has instead named Hamzah Zainudin from Wawasan as the party's preferred choice, while the PAS Youth Front has at times cited several candidates before finally settling on Samsuri. Recently, PAS Treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad also cautioned that discussing the matter too early might be premature and hasn't been thoroughly evaluated within the party.

PAS currently holds 43 parliamentary seats, making it the largest party in the Dewan Rakyat. Syaza noted that naming Samsuri, who is also PAS's deputy president, as the preferred candidate is challenging because the party must still consider the acceptance of hierarchical authority, religious leadership, and cross-party alliances.

Even if Samsuri were nominated, PAS would still need to convince potential allies like the Barisan Nasional and Wawasan, particularly given that their leaders might view themselves as more conservative. "In the short term, I don't see who PAS can solidify to reassure the broader public and their allies," she concluded. Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting suggested that the uncertainty within PAS might stem from the party's need to manage internal balance leading up to the 16th general election.

Naming a Prime Minister candidate too soon could create internal tensions between religious leaders, politicians, and technocrats within PAS. He argued that while naming a candidate now may create internal competition before the polls, it could also alienate the party's factions. While PAS may possess the strength to deliberate, naming a candidate too early could undermine the party's cohesion and the expectations of its allies.