PERIKATAN Nasional has a new face at the top, but the coalition is grappling with fundamental fractures. With PAS vice-president and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar now installed as chairman, the coalition has replaced a seasoned, if embattled, political figure with a technocratic one. Yet, beneath the veneer of this “new-look” opposition coalition, the fundamental question remains: who truly owns the future of Perikatan? For some detractors, the coalition has swapped a figurehead – Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, a leader his supporters say enjoys deep-seated popularity among the Malay electorate – for an untested state politician.

Source: The Star March 01, 2026 13:38 UTC