Malaysia’s Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) cuts its political ties with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), a move that raises uncertainty over the future of the opposition coalition that includes Bersatu. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang announces that PAS’s central working committee has decided to terminate political cooperation with Bersatu, following an earlier decision by the party’s Syura Council, which is described as PAS’s highest religious decision-making body. Hadi says the decision reflects consideration of the current state of relations between the two parties.
The decision is portrayed by multiple outlets as creating turmoil within Malaysia’s opposition bloc, with the breakdown of the PAS–Bersatu partnership affecting coalition arrangements ahead of upcoming elections. With several polls on the horizon, observers expect the split to reshape alliances and influence the political strategy of the opposition bloc that has previously relied on cooperation among its components. The reports frame the development as part of an ongoing internal feud affecting the opposition’s cohesion.
