Sikap PAS beri laluan perkukuh peluang Zahid jadi PM, kata penganalisis

An analyst believes that the Peoples' Justice Party (PAS)'s growing influence may bolster the chances of Umno President Zahid Hamidi becoming the next Prime Minister. In the 2021 Melaka state election, Umno aimed to contest 21 federal seats, with seven slots left for PAS and its allies. According to Mazlan Ali from the University of Technology Malaysia, Umno is keen on leading the next government and cannot ignore its desire just because PAS has nominated its own candidate for prime minister.

He stated that the outcome ultimately depends on which party is more dominant. While PAS is currently the largest party by seats in Parliament, Mazlan acknowledged its willingness to serve as a supportive partner in various election campaigns, which could further strengthen Umno's aspirations for leading Putrajaya. In Johor, BN won decisively with PAS' informal backing, despite both sides denying any electoral pact between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

PAS only contested 11 out of 56 seats and requested BN supporters to back their candidates in areas not contested by PN. As the PRN approaches, PAS President Hadi Awang also offered his party's support to the BN-ruled state government if the coalition fails to secure a majority, without demanding a deputy minister's position or exco seats.

Such cooperation became more structured in Negeri Sembilan, where BN contested 25 seats while PN contested the remaining 11, winning 25 of the 36 seats together, with BN taking 18, including 16 won by Umno, and PN securing seven seats, with four by PAS and three by Wawasan. For the upcoming 2022 Melaka state election, Umno-led BN announced it will contest 21 seats, while PAS and its allies will contest the remaining seven.

Although BN reiterated its intention to retain all federal seats, Mazlan noted that PAS may need to support Zahid as prime minister if their cooperation secures a majority in Parliament during PRU16 and Umno wins more seats than PAS. PAS' support may not be enough for Hamzah Mazlan, adding that while Terengganu Chief Minister Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, PAS' President Hamzah Zainudin could also be considered as prime minister candidates.

However, he stressed that Umno's readiness to work with PAS does not mean the party is willing to endorse Hamzah for the highest executive office. "Umno will never surrender the prime ministerial position to a factional party," he said. Meanwhile, Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani of Global Asia Consulting acknowledged the possibility of Hamzah emerging as a pragmatic choice in case of a deadlock in determining the leadership candidate.

However, he reminded that PAS' willingness to cooperate with Hamzah does not necessarily mean the party will support him as prime minister. "Hamzah must demonstrate that his ministerial experience translates into measurable achievements, and PAS' conditional support is not merely a temporary alliance for political expediency."