PAS denies restructuring plan to elevate Hamzah

Summary

• PAS denies reports that there is a plan to restructure PN to elevate Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin’s position in the coalition.

• PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan says the report is being hyped to disrupt PN’s stability.

• Party deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man says PN merely agreed to appoint five representatives from each coalition party member to discuss improvements.

PAS dismissed reports that the Perikatan Nasional coalition is being restructured to give Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin more power.

Party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said that PN, as a registered coalition, is subject to its constitution.

He also claimed the matter was being hyped to disrupt PN’s stability.

“We are subject to the PN constitution. We cannot arbitrarily change things.

“In the PN constitution, there must be a chairperson, who is Muhyiddin Yassin from the start, and there is no question there.

“This story is being hyped because we have a stable coalition, and someone is trying to disrupt things. No issues here, PAS and Bersatu remain," Takiyuddin (above) said at a press conference in Kota Bharu, Kelantan today.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was also present.

Proposed changes

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that PAS has proposed restructuring PN to grant Hamzah significant operational powers.

Under the proposed changes, an executive committee helmed by Hamzah would be formed to oversee PN’s operations, while the presidents of PAS, Bersatu, Gerakan, and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party would retain their roles in the existing supreme council.

According to sources, the move is designed to position Hamzah as PN’s prime ministerial candidate, ready to take the reins if the coalition captures Putrajaya in the next general election.

However, the proposal seems to face resistance - specifically from a faction aligned with Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali. This group is said to favour establishing a PN secretariat council with Azmin at its helm instead.

Tuan Ibrahim said PN had agreed to appoint five representatives from each coalition party member to discuss improvements to the pact.

"We agreed to form a special committee (represented by five people from each party), and the mandate was given to these five people to discuss.

"PN meetings are going on as usual. There are no problems; improvements just need to be made to strengthen PN and prepare for the upcoming Sabah state election,” he added.

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