The formation of a new opposition coalition sans PAS left observers wondering if the revenant Pakatan Harapan would be able to withstand the tribulations or if it is destined to land six feet under like its predecessor.

A Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) leader is confident if the cards are dealt in the correct manner, the coalition would not only survive, but emerge as a potent threat to BN as well.

However, Mohd Sofi Abdul Wahab, who is the PAS splinter party's communication and media director, cautioned that past mistakes must not be repeated.

In his post-mortem of Pakatan Rakyat's demise, he noted how egos reigned in the absence of PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"After Nik Aziz died and Anwar was imprisoned, there was no leader who was respected or admired.

"Everyone paraded their egos. This attitude must be discarded by the current crop of Pakatan Harapan leaders. Do not make the same mistake," he said in a statement.

Sofi recalled when the previous coalition was on its deathbed, its leaders refused to sit at the same table to iron out the problems, using the media to communicate and snipe at each other instead.

"I am confident if all quarters are mature and sincere in the struggle for justice, the people would support Pakatan Harapan," he said.

In an obvious reference to PAS and its president Abdul Hadi Awang, Sofi said another reason which contributed to the crumbling of Pakatan Rakyat was that certain component parties refused to adhere to the decisions of the leadership council or even attend the meetings.

The Amanah leader also noted how Umno and BN helped nail the coffin shut by devising strategies which created fissures in the coalition.

"They played up issues concerning race and religion until some former Pakatan Rakyat component party took the bait," he added.

The Amanah leader also responded to critics, who claimed Pakatan Harapan is nothing more than old wine in a new bottle, comprising parties with different agendas and ideologies which cannot be reconciled.

Sofi argued that Pakatan Harapan exists because of these differences, claiming that a coalition would be redundant if all of them were on the same page.

Regardless of their different stands, he said, the parties agreed on struggling towards a nation with a leadership that is transparent, free of corruption and democratic.

Based on their previous experience, he said the new coalition leaders are better prepared in handling crises and the "slander" of their rivals.

He also cited the inking of an agreement last Saturday, in which the previous clause of agreeing to disagree had been removed, as a step in the right direction.