GEORGE TOWN – It is difficult to imagine PAS leading the Penang chapter of Perikatan Nasional (PN) when the party itself does not represent the majority demographic in the state, said a political analyst.
Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri, an associate professor at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), said the party would have to make adjustments if it harbours ambitions of leading the state.
“It is a bit difficult to say whether PAS should lead PN in Penang. Although it won the largest number of constituencies among PN component parties in the state, it does not represent most of Penang’s demographic.
“But giving the leadership to another party doesn’t make sense either, given their reduced influence,” she told Scoop when contacted.
She cited Gerakan, which once led Penang for four decades but was trounced in the 2008 general elections and has since struggled to make a comeback.
PAS currently controls seven out of the 11 state constituencies held by PN in Penang, while its ally Bersatu holds the remaining four.
According to the Statistics Department, as of August 2023, Penang’s population comprises 44.9% Chinese, followed closely by Malays (44.7%), Indians (9.7%), and other communities (0.6%).
Commenting further, Syaza said that if PN’s central leadership decides to hand Penang’s leadership to PAS, the coalition must acknowledge that it would be a Malay-first leadership.
“Gerakan and, to a lesser degree, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) would have to be okay with it,” she added.
Syaza was responding to remarks from Penang PAS leaders, including state chapter commissioner Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff and Penang PAS information chief Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan. While they acknowledged that PAS could be considered the coalition leader in Penang based on the number of seats it controls, they preferred for PN’s central leadership to make the final decision.
The leadership debate has sparked tensions within PN, with Gerakan and MIPP disputing which party should lead the coalition in the state. This follows reports of PN planning to focus on Malay and Indian voters to secure a slim majority in the next state election.
This is the latest internal dispute engulfing PN, following an ongoing disagreement between PAS and Bersatu over their representation in the coalition’s central leadership. PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin has been vocal about the matter, insisting that PAS should lead the coalition and present its prime ministerial candidate for the next general election (GE16).
‘Actually, PAS would be compromising’
When asked whether PN’s central leadership should consider rewarding PAS with the leadership role in Penang as a compromise following the internal dispute, Syaza argued that PAS would actually be making a compromise if it gave up its leadership ambitions in the state.
She noted that PAS already controls four states – Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Terengganu.
“(However) I don’t see PAS making a strong effort to lead PN in Penang, which I believe is because they understand that Penang is not like the other four states. There is a lot more work to be done to take up the leadership role.
“Until and unless they can figure out the situation in Penang, it is not worth fighting over the state leadership,” she added.
However, Syaza asserted that if PAS is serious about leading PN in Penang, it must show a willingness to change how it operates due to the state’s multiracial nature.
“They cannot be going on walkabouts in malls like they did before—where they would look for faults, such as the open sale of alcohol. How will they balance that?” she asked, referring to the 2023 incident in which Fawwaz reportedly advised Sunway Carnival Mall in Seberang Jaya against openly selling alcohol, an action that drew accusations of moral policing from political rivals.
Why not Bersatu?
Meanwhile, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara argued that Bersatu should be given the leadership role instead.
Azmi said it is critical for PN to win over non-Malay voters in Penang. However, Gerakan and MIPP have failed to achieve this due to their association with PAS, which he described as “the thorn in Penang PN” due to its extreme ethno-religious politicking.
“In order for PN to attract non-Malay voters, the best bet is not Gerakan or MIPP, but Bersatu.
“Even though Bersatu is tied to a Malay-centric vision and carries the stigma of being an Umno offshoot, I believe it is the most suitable party to lead PN in Penang due to its infrastructure and the experience of its leaders,” he told Scoop when contacted.
The analyst said that winning over non-Malays would require “a strong entity that could neutralise PAS’ negative stigma.”
Although he acknowledged that Bersatu is weaker than PAS and faces its own internal challenges, he maintained that the party is PN’s best option in Penang at the moment.
“PN should use Bersatu to attract non-Malays in Penang, as it is capable of handling PAS despite the party’s extreme views,” he added. – February 4, 2025