PETALING JAYA: The rift between PAS and Bersatu within Perikatan Nasional appears set to spill over into the Negri Sembilan election, with the coalition partners poised to clash in eight seats.
The development comes after Bersatu unveiled its list of 24 candidates and announced that it would contest under the party’s own logo.
The move came a day after Perikatan and Parti Wawasan Negara – a PAS ally – announced 11 candidates for the coming polls.
Led by party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Bersatu will face PAS in Serting, Ampangan, Paroi and Bagan Pinang.
The party will also take on Wawasan, led by Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, in Klawang, Sikamat, Mambau and Gemas.
Political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the eight multi-cornered contests reflected Bersatu’s weakening influence within the coalition it helped establish.
In the short term, he said the contests could split the Malay vote for the opposition, potentially benefiting Pakatan Harapan or Barisan Nasional in multi-cornered fights.
He also noted that PAS had reached a new understanding with Barisan Nasional at the state level.
Awang Azman said Perikatan could also find it more difficult to convince voters that it was ready to govern if its component parties were unable to resolve issues such as seat allocations, logo usage and leadership.
“A coalition seeking to offer national stability must first demonstrate internal discipline and unity.
“The open conflict risks making Perikatan appear to be a temporary electoral alliance rather than a mature governing coalition,” he said.
Looking ahead, he said Bersatu risked being increasingly marginalised if Perikatan evolved into a coalition dominated by PAS, given the party’s stronger Malay grassroots machinery and ideological base.
“If Bersatu forms a new platform with smaller parties, the opposition landscape could become even more fragmented, giving the unity government greater political space,” he said.
Nevertheless, Awang Azman said the Negri Sembilan election could become a defining test of whether Bersatu could remain politically relevant under its own banner.
Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Bersatu’s decision reflected a deepening strategic rift rather than an immediate collapse of Perikatan.
“Contesting against PAS and Wawasan in eight seats suggests coordination within the opposition has weakened, but whether this marks the end of Bersatu’s place in Perikatan depends on what happens after the election.”
He added that if the rift continued to widen after the state election, it could further erode trust between the parties and pave the way for a broader realignment of the opposition ahead of the 16th General Election.
