14/05/2026

THURSDAY | MAY 14, 2026

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‘Umno political survival tied to role in Unity govt’

PETALING JAYA: Bersatu’s purge of 22 members this year, including figures aligned with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, may leave PAS with the upper hand in Perikatan Nasional (PN) rather than drive Malay voters back to Umno, analysts said. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities director Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said the expulsions appeared to be part of an internal “cleansing” exercise as Bersatu struggled with factional discord. He said Hamzah remained influential despite his expulsion, claiming many MPs and division chiefs were still aligned with the former Bersatu deputy president. “These expulsions and removals can weaken Bersatu because Hamzah Insulting companions of Prophet considered haram , says minister KUALA LUMPUR: Insulting the companions of Prophet Muhammad is haram (forbidden) and constitutes a grave sin, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Zulkifli Hasan. “Insulting them is tantamount to insulting those who stood with the Prophet in upholding Islam,” he said in a Facebook post. He said the companions of Prophet Muhammad are the best of generations, as praised by Allah and reminded all parties to respect and love them while refraining from slandering them. “Guard your tongue and writing from defaming the honour of the companions of Rasulullah .” Pasir Puteh MP Datuk Dr Nik Muhamad Zawawi Salleh was previously reported to have made a statement that appeared to insult and ridicule the authority of several companions of Prophet Muhammad. Meanwhile, PKR Religious Strengthening and Understanding Bureau chairman Amidi Abdul Manan, in a statement, urged Nik Zawawi to give an immediate explanation over his remarks. He also urged PAS to apologise to the Muslim community following the statement by Nik Zawawi, who is also the party’s Syura Ulama Council secretary, which was alleged to contain accusations against the companions of Prophet Muhammad, thereby tarnishing the image and purity of Islam. Amidi said should Nik Muhammad fail to provide an explanation, the PAS leadership would need to clearly state its position on the matter. “The people are shocked by the statement which contained lies against the companions of Prophet Muhammad. “We are still awaiting an explanation even after more than 24 hours since it circulated in the public communication domain. “Islam in Malaysia is threatened not by the diversity of religions, races and cultures, but by the poor conduct of individuals who claim to be heirs to the prophets’ duties yet show disrespect towards his companions,” he said. – Bernama Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Ű BY T.C. KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Party can no longer stand alone after losing electoral dominance once enjoyed during Barisan Nasional era, says analyst

shifted to PN after the 15th GE.” Bersatu’s expulsion of 22 members included 17 in February, three on May 8 and two on Monday. The latest two expelled were Kok Lanas assemblyman Datuk Mohamed Farid Mohamed Zawawi and Parit Armada chief Wan Meor Safwat Naqiuddin Shamsuddin. Those sacked on May 8 were Suka Menanti assemblyman Dzowahir Ab Ghani, Sungai Tiang assemblyman Abdul Razak Khamis and Hulu Langat division chief Muhammad Faiz Rahmad. Hamzah was among the 17 expelled in February amid wider rift with Muhyiddin, who stepped down as PN chairman in January but remains Bersatu president. The party cited breaches of its constitution and ethics code for the sacking, although some affected leaders have linked the latest actions to Hamzah’s Reset gathering. political landscape, while stressing that Malay interests remained a priority for the party. He also called for Malaysian politics to shift “from confrontation to collaboration”. Azeem said the party’s reduced political clout has also weakened its ability to dispense incentives and rewards traditionally associated with dominant ruling parties. He said appointments to government-linked companies and statutory bodies are now largely controlled by the prime minister, who is from PKR. “Under the ministries that are headed by ministers from Umno, that party can still dispense some largesse to its members,” he said. Azeem said Umno’s future electoral fortunes would depend heavily on the political path it chooses ahead of upcoming state elections in Johor and Malacca, as well as the 16th General Election. He said questions remain over whether Umno would continue backing the Unity government or contest more independently under BN, potentially triggering three cornered fights involving existing allies in the Madani coalition. At the same time, he said ideological tensions between Umno and DAP grassroots supporters continue to pose challenges for the Unity government despite cooperation at the leadership level. “Even though the top leaderships of Umno and DAP have shown some degree of unity, the grassroots members of both parties remain at loggerheads over numerous issues.” Azeem said Umno’s political direction would determine how the party fares in future elections. He added that despite setbacks, Umno’s long political experience and resilience would likely help the party weather future political turbulence. “It’s a Catch-22 situation. The Madani brand name has been under attack from all sides and this could be detrimental to Umno – guilty by association,” he said.

PUTRAJAYA: Umno’s political survival is now closely tied to its continued role within the Madani government as the party no longer commands the dominance needed to stand on its own. Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst associate professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk said Umno’s position in Malaysian politics has fundamentally changed, forcing the party to adapt to coalition politics after suffering a sharp decline in electoral support. “Gone are the days when Umno could flex its political muscle and claim to be the only political party that could defend Malay interests. The political landscape has shifted since the fall of Barisan Nasional

politics and the central pillar of BN during its decades-long rule of the country. However, despite remaining part of the federal administration and holding key cabinet positions, Umno suffered its worst electoral defeat in the 2022 general election, winning only 26 parliamentary seats. On May 2, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said political cooperation was now “essential rather than optional” amid the country’s evolving

(BN) in 2018,” Azeem said, adding that it is highly unlikely Umno would regain the dominance it enjoyed during the BN era. He said Umno cannot reposition itself as a moderate party because PAS would continue escalating issues involving Islam and Malay interests. “This role is increasingly being claimed by PAS.” Umno marked its 80th anniversary on May 11. Founded in 1946, the party was once regarded as the dominant force in Malaysian

Azeem said Umno’s position in Malaysian politics has fundamentally changed, forcing it to adapt to coalition politics after losing electoral support. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

PAS appears stronger amid Bersatu turmoil: Academic

Syaza said Umno may gain from the return of some former Bersatu figures, but that would not necessarily translate into a wider voter swing. Universiti Malaya Department of Political Science senior lecturer Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said PAS appeared better positioned than Umno to benefit from Bersatu’s instability due to its stronger organisation and Malay-Muslim grassroots machinery. He said while Umno was reopening its doors to former members and political figures through the Gagasan Rumah Bangsa initiative, PAS remained the more stable component within PN. “Umno may only gain limited and short-term benefit through the return of several former Bersatu leaders or members. The real challenge for Umno remains restoring the confidence of Malay voters who

many options. His group will have to support PAS’ decisions because his political survival also depends on PAS. “He is facing Muhyiddin, so to gain enough support to overcome Muhyiddin Yassin, Hamzah needs strong support from PAS.” International Islamic University Malaysia political analyst Dr Syaza Shukri said Bersatu’s electoral strength has been closely tied to the PN platform, where much of its support came from voters already inclined towards PAS. “I do not think these voters will shift to Umno. Bersatu won on the PN ticket and we know many of of them are PAS voters. With Bersatu becoming increasingly chaotic, PAS may have the upper hand to demand additional seats. But I do not see PAS being very aggressive. Still, without a doubt, PN is becoming more PAS-centred.”

himself is capable of driving a movement called ‘Reset’, which is actively gathering support. “There is a possibility that ‘Reset’ could be accepted as one of the component parties in PN. If that happens, Bersatu will lose its position as the main party in PN,” he told theSun . Mazlan said PAS appeared more comfortable with Hamzah’s group than with current Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s camp, adding that the rift could give the Islamist party greater leverage in PN’s future seat negotiations. He said this could already be seen in Malacca, where state PAS commissioner Zulkifli Ismail reportedly said on April 28 that the party was eyeing 16 of the 28 seats in the next state election, double the eight it contested under PN in 2021. “Hamzah Zainudin does not have