Share to help stimulate good governance, ensure future of people & M’sia
No News Is Bad News
Political beggar Bersatu and Taliban-like PAS are stuck together despite backstabbings
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6, 2026: International political news website Finance Twitter has posted a damning article on the Bersatu-PAS political relationship.
It opines that the racist Bersatu, led by the unpatriotic Muhyiddin “I Am Malay First” Yassin, and the Taliban-like PAS, will continue backstabbing each other because of mistrust but are likely unable to go separate ways because both also dislike and distrust the racial and religious bigoted Umno, now only the third largest Malay party with only 26 seats in the 222-seat Parliament.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below the Finance Twitter’s political news analysis:
Traitors Turn On Traitors: Why PAS & Bersatu Backstab, Betray Each Other
6 January, 2026
According to Finance Twitter , PAS backstabs PAS for projects. Bersatu betrays PAS for power. PAS calls Bersatu traitor and kicks three of its own kind out for going rogue. Bersatu refuses PAS’ demand to also sack five of its own kind. PAS weaponizes Islam, claiming people who demand positions cannot be given one. Bersatu pretends it didn’t know about any treachery, but seizes power anyway.
Perlis may be Malaysia’s smallest state, but its latest crisis could be the biggest – even the deadliest – to hit opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition consisting of right-wing and far-right political parties. Crucially, both Islamist party PAS and nationalist party Bersatu not only 100% completely dominate the alliance, but also comprise 100% Malay-Muslim lawmakers.
Racist bigot Bersatu and religious extremist PAS can continue blaming each other till kingdom comes over the Perlis political crisis, but they definitely cannot blame the Chinese or Democratic Action Party (DAP)– their favourite punching bag – this round. At best, it was caused by traitor Bersatu betraying traitor PAS. At worst, it was caused by something called “KARMA”.
Yes, Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS –Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) should not cry, whine, moan and bitch about Bersatu’s treachery. After all, this is not the first day PAS knew that its buddy was a traitor. Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin became the 8th Prime Minister after he betrayed his own allies and friends in 2020, leading to the collapse of the democratically-elected Pakatan Harapan government.
PAS should also stop being a hypocrite, pretending that it had been viciously betrayed when in fact the Islamist party was the same despicable traitor who colluded with Bersatu in a coup that overthrew the legitimate multiracial government back in 2020 to form a backdoor regime. Like a leopard which never changes its spots, it’s Bersatu’s nature to backstab and betray friends for power, regardless of race and religion.
The only difference is Muhyiddin betrayed Pakatan Harapan in 2020, and betrayed Perikatan Nasional in 2025. And chances are Bersatu will continue to backstab and betray any new friends in the future just for the sake of power and position. It’s not personal, but purely business. There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics, only permanent interests.
There’s nothing extraordinary about backstabbing, betrayal, and blaming game in Perlis. Get your popcorn because it is not the end of domestic violence between PAS and Bersatu, where both keep slapping, backstabbing and kicking each other but refuse to divorce. At the end, Bersatu president Muhyiddin was forced to resign as Perikatan Nasional chairman after pressure from PAS.
In Perlis, its State Legislative Assembly consists of 15 seats – nine held by PAS, five by Bersatu and one by PKR. The crisis exploded when 3 PAS assemblymen along with 5 Bersatu assemblymen openly stated that they no longer supported the Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli. The stunning withdrawal of support means the chief minister must resign.
The crisis was so unexpected that the chief minister suffered a “heart attack” and had to be hospitalized. But the drama also shocked PAS supremo Abdul Hadi Awang. The PAS president was so angry he had personally announced the immediate termination of the three Perlis assemblymen – Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji).
However, it was a dumb and reckless move by Hadi. By cutting off nose to spite face, PAS is now left with only 6 assemblymen, unable to form a simple majority state government after Perlis assembly speaker Rus’sele Eizan retracted a request that the Election Commission holds by-elections for the three seats. In turn, Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah swiftly sworn in as new CEO of Perlis, costing PAS one of its prized chief minister posts.
Exactly why was Hadi so pissed off? That’s because (former) Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli is related to him – relatives by marriage. Get real, the five Bersatu assemblymen would not dare go rogue – poking holes in the roof of PAS – without the “green light” from the big boss – Muhyiddin. Clearly the coup was a slap in the face of Hadi Awang. In fact, it was a “declaration of war” from Muhyiddin.
If a state where Perikatan Nasional controls 14 out of 15 seats could collapse out of the blue, it speaks volumes about the devastating bad blood between PAS and Bersatu. You don’t need a rocket scientist to tell that both parties no longer trust each other and have to split. However, the question is how to split because neither Hadi nor Muhyiddin wants to be seen as the bad guy who presses the nuclear button.
Hardy boy wants Bersatu to exit Perikatan Nasional voluntarily so that the Islamist party has an excuse to re-activate Muafakat Nasional and work with previous partner UMNO. On the other hand, Muhyiddin provokes PAS to kick Bersatu out so that Bersatu can play the victim card and fall back on Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) – a loose coalition formed by 11 parties founded by Muhyiddin. So, both PAS and Bersatu have their respective backup plan.
Of course, the Islamist party can silently abandon Perikatan Nasional and restarts the engine of previously hatched national cooperation between UMNO and PAS, glorified as “Muafakat Nasional” under the pretext of Malay-unity. However, if PAS abandons Perikatan Nasional, PAS would be accused of not only power-crazy, but also betrayal to friendship and Muslim brotherhood.
PAS is somehow trapped – it can’t boot Bersatu or quit Perikatan Nasional to join UMNO in Muafakat Nasional. That’s why Muhyiddin deliberately sparked a crisis in Perlis, knowing it would anger PAS leaders, who – as expected – have condemned Bersatu of betrayal and backstabbing. Under so-called pressure, Muhyiddin tactically resigned on Dec 30, 2025 as Perikatan Nasional chairman, effective January 1, 2026.
Thanking supporters without naming a successor or satisfactorily explaining the move, Muhyiddin’s resignation has raised eyebrows as well as causing other Bersatu leaders loyal to him to step down from leadership posts in the coalition. However, Muhyiddin still remains as Bersatu president. This partial retreat appears calculated, most likely planned for months (after consultation with wife).
In truth, Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS –Parti Islam Se-Malaysia), Perikatan Nasional’s dominant partner, has been pushing for influence ever since Muhyiddin and Hadi do not see eye-to-eye for months. With Muhyiddin’s resignation, PAS could choose either one of its own leaders or Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin as the next Perikatan chairman.
Hamzah, openly backed by PAS leadership, may also be a potential challenge to Muhyiddin’s Bersatu presidency. But as cunning Muhyiddin predicted, power-hungry Hadi swallows the mouth-watering chairman post, confirming that PAS will take charge. This essentially strengthens Muhyiddin’s power in Bersatu as Hamzah’s ambition to become Perikatan poster boy is greatly reduced.
Surrendering Perikatan Nasional chairmanship in exchange for Perlis Chief Ministership and containing Hamzah’s rebellion is arguably a good bargain. Muhyiddin can also wash his hands clean, as the burden of leading Perikatan Nasional to winning the next 16th General Election is now shifted to religious extremist PAS. Good luck winning Sabah and Sarawak’s support, let alone non-Malay votes.
Muhyiddin’s selling point or value proposition, despite his “First Malay” political remark, is that he is lesser of two evils compared to PAS radical leaders. For that reason, the Borneo states could work with Bersatu – as seen during Muhyiddin’s backdoor Perikatan Nasional government from March 2020 to November 2022 – but certainly not Taliban PAS as the prime force in the country’s top leadership.
Worse, PAS can’t run a state, let alone a country. For almost 40 years, Kelantan, a state that PAS has been administering since 1990, remains one of the poorest states with no access to clean water. When PAS finally became part of Muhyiddin’s backdoor government in 2020, its deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said the people of Kelantan would have to wait for another 40 years before any clean water supply can be provided to them.
Therefore, the presence of Bersatu in Perikatan Nasional actually dilutes the extremist image of PAS to project a moderate Malay-Muslim coalition. Additionally, Muhyiddin’s past experience in the previous ruling government of Barisan Nasional gives an assurance to the Malay supporters that Perikatan Nasional can actually run the country. On its own, PAS is like the Taliban running Afghanistan.
Still, Hamzah might be PAS’s last minute or desperate choice as prime ministerial candidate in an effort to hoodwink some Malays, Sabah and Sarawak, and minority Chinese and Indian ethnics that Perikatan Nasional under PAS isn’t Taliban. But that would put unnecessary pressure on Hadi’s leadership among PAS members, questioning why PAS cannot choose its own leaders as the 11th Prime Minister.
Crucially, if Hamzah or Hadi’s favourite choice – Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar – becomes a prime ministerial candidate, then Muafakat Nasional is dead as UMNO does not see any incentive to join PAS. And if UMNO does not join forces with PAS, it means Bersatu remains alive and not isolated – continue riding on PAS machinery and grassroots in the next 16th General Election.
PAS has to choose either Bersatu or UMNO, not both, because UMNO hates Bersatu more than DAP Chinese. So, either PAS remains in Perikatan Nasional or jumps over to Muafakat Nasional. And if PAS decides to work with UMNO, it means Muhyiddin can reappoint himself as chairman of Perikatan Nasional again. Muhyiddin was basically taking a step back to move forward.
But why did Muhyiddin make the move now after three years? That’s because PAS and UMNO have in principle agreed behind closed doors to revive their cooperation. The agreement reached included UMNO president Zahid Hamidi as the Prime Minister, Muhyiddin must join Najib in prison for corruption, and Bersatu or Malaysian United Indigenous Party must be “neutralized”.
In the same breath, DAP lawmaker Yeo Bee Yin’s statement of celebration over former PM Najib Razak’s failed house arrest bid, and her refusal to apologize thereafter, was not the real reason why notorious UMNO Youth Chief Akmal Saleh instigating for the party to quit the Madani pact and revive Muafakat. Yeo was just a convenient tool for UMNO to extract concessions from both Madani and PAS.
The day Akmal started his attacks on KK Mart over a pair of socks in March 2024, followed by high-heeled shoes and ham sandwiches was the day UMNO and PAS have begun talks to revive Muafakat Nasional. And before Yeo’s outburst, something happened which made UMNO unconvinced that Anwar’s PKR could win the next election, leading to a more serious consideration of working with PAS – results of Sabah state election.
However, not everyone in PAS agrees to working with UMNO, the same way not every UMNO top leader agrees PAS can be trusted. There are factions in PAS who prefer working with Bersatu, whilst there are factions in UMNO who prefer sticking with Pakatan Harapan. Unlike in 2018, UMNO is already in the government and can take its own sweet time to consider all options.
In reality, the bad blood between Bersatu and PAS did not happen overnight. It actually started since the November 2022 General Election, which produced a hung parliament. Despite the enactment of the anti–hopping law, Muhyiddin arrogantly disregarded the law and breached the Federal Constitution and went on a shopping spree to buy elected lawmakers.
Yes, after the November 2022 national polls, Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional had a chance to return to power. However, his arrogance – flatly rejecting a “Unity Government” proposed by then-King Sultan Abdullah – saw the opportunity crushed as he insisted on becoming the prime minister, and not the deputy to rival Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Islamist party PAS president Hadi Awang was equally dumb, arrogant and overconfident that Perikatan Nasional could become the government – misled and hoodwinked by Muhyiddin’s claim that they had 115 SDs (statutory declarations) of support. Both Muhyiddin and Hadi were clueless that with the implementation of the anti-hopping law, those SDs were not worth the paper it’s written on.
Former PM Muhyiddin was furiously mad after the King rejected his dubious 115 SDs, but it was too late to cry over spilt milk. Barisan Nasional, despite suffering its worst defeat in history, has suddenly become the kingmaker. Without its 30 MPs, neither Pakatan Harapan (82 MPs) nor Perikatan Nasional (74 MPs) could form a government. It was game over after Barisan chose Pakatan over Perikatan.
Since then, Muhyiddin has been consistently blamed by PAS for navigating Perikatan to the opposition camp. The second chance to overthrow Anwar government in the six-state election in August 2023 also failed as the “green wave” lost its heat and kinetic energy. That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, increasing pressure even within Bersatu for an expired product called Muhyiddin to retire.
To be fair, the Perlis coup was partly caused by PAS top leadership, who greedily grabbed all the four states (Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis) without willingness to share the “spoils of war”. Without a power base and having its accounts frozen due to corruption and money laundering allegations, Bersatu appears directionless and in a situation that is worse than a beggar.
Source : Finance Twitter
