PAS unlikely to ditch Wawasan for Umno-BN alliance, analysts say

KUALA LUMPUR, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

Political analysts say PAS will maintain ties with its Perikatan Nasional partners—particularly Wawasan—rather than abandon them for a direct alliance with Umno ahead of GE16, despite Umno’s preference for bilateral talks.

Sivamurugan Pandian, a political scientist at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said PAS would likely balance cooperation with Barisan Nasional while retaining its PN partners, excluding Bersatu. "PAS will not rush to abandon Wawasan," he told Free Malaysia Today. "The real test is whether PAS sees ummah unity as a broader principle or primarily as a strategic cooperation with Umno."

The assessment comes as Umno signals a preference for direct negotiations with PAS, bypassing PN, which faces deregistration unless it submits representations to the Registrar of Societies within 30 days. PAS’s Sura assemblyman, Dr. Tengku Fakhruddin Tengku Fauzi, dismissed speculation of a breakup, posting on Facebook: "We have PAS."

Analysts note that PAS’s leadership—including figures like Hamzah Zainudin, Ronald Kiandee, and Mas Ermieyati Samsudin—helmed Wawasan’s rise, making a clean break unlikely. Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi called talk of PAS leaving PN "possible rhetorical manoeuvring," particularly ahead of the Melaka state election. "It would be difficult for PAS to simply abandon Wawasan," he said, adding that Umno may target Wawasan-held seats, risking a fractured BN-PN alliance.

However, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Mazlan Ali cautioned that PAS could eventually prioritize Umno for electoral gains, leveraging a shared Malay-Muslim unity narrative. He cited the defunct Muafakat Nasional as proof that cooperation between the two parties is possible when interests align. "Anything is possible," Mazlan said, though he acknowledged PAS’s historical reluctance to fully abandon Wawasan.

Separately, Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said Umno would need PAS for both the Melaka polls and GE16, but he doubted PAS would sever ties with Wawasan outright. Meanwhile, Bersatu’s Dr. Afif Bahardin had earlier suggested PAS could leave PN to form a formal alliance with Umno-BN, a claim dismissed by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s aide, Syahir Sulaiman, who said leadership decisions must come from PN’s supreme council.

Market impact: The political maneuvering carries indirect implications for Malaysian markets, particularly in sectors tied to government contracts and policy stability. A fractured opposition coalition could heighten uncertainty, though analysts say PAS’s reluctance to abandon Wawasan suggests continuity in its electoral strategy.