{
  "id": 14737639,
  "title": "PAS need not hold opposition leader post, says treasurer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/pas-need-not-hold-opposition-leader-post-says-treasurer-14737639",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T15:25:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/15/pas-need-not-hold-opposition-leader-post-says-treasurer"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PAS treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad has stated that the party does not need to hold the opposition leader's post, asserting that PAS possesses 43 MPs to advance its agenda in the lower house. Despite the opposition leader traditionally receiving more floor time, Iskandar emphasized that the Islamic party's substantial number of MPs enables them to tackle various issues and promote its stance. Earlier, former Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi suggested that PAS should replace Hamzah Zainudin as the opposition leader, following Hamzah's resignation from the position. Iskandar dismissed Puad's comments, highlighting that the party had ignored him even during his tenure as an Umno Supreme Council member. Hamzah, the current opposition leader since December 2022, faced criticism from Hamzah for failing to propose new ideas or policies during the debate on the 2027 budget, only mentioning the need for an \"engine of high-impact economic growth\". Prior to Hamzah returning as opposition leader in June, PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar assumed the role as the Perikatan Nasional chairman.",
  "summary": "Iskandar Abdul Samad says PAS has 43 MPs to advance the party’s agenda in the Dewan Rakyat.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "PAS need not hold opposition leader post, says treasurer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/pas-need-not-hold-opposition-leader-post-says-treasurer",
        "published": "2026-10-15T15:25:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}