PAS Treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad has cautioned that Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot rely solely on its dominance in the East Coast and the “Malay Belt” if it intends to successfully seize federal power. In a recent statement shared on his social media, Iskandar noted that while the coalition, particularly PAS, maintains a formidable presence in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and parts of Perak, these strongholds do not guarantee a national victory.
He pointed out that sweeping all available seats in traditional strongholds is not a definitive path to installing Terengganu Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, as the next Prime Minister. Iskandar highlighted that Dr Samsuri’s recent appointment as the PN Chairman serves as a clear signal of his candidacy for the country’s top office, but the road to Putrajaya requires a much broader electoral appeal.
According to Iskandar, for PN to realistically wrest control of the government in the 16th General Election (GE16), it must transform other states into coalition strongholds. He specifically named Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Perak, Penang, Perlis, Sabah, and Sarawak as critical areas where the coalition must significantly bolster its influence and machinery to achieve a parliamentary majority.
The PAS leader stressed that the current political landscape demands a highly integrated and comprehensive level of cooperation across all states. He warned against operating in silos, suggesting that taking pride in localised successes is hollow if coalition partners continue to struggle in other regions. He argued that the failure of allies in one area would inevitably lead to a broader failure for the entire coalition at the federal level.
Dr Samsuri, who also serves as a PAS Vice-President, officially took over the PN Chairmanship from Bersatu President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on 22 February. While the appointment has positioned him as a frontrunner for the Prime Minister post with backing from PAS Youth, Muhyiddin has previously remarked that holding the chairmanship does not automatically confirm an individual as the coalition’s final choice for the premiership.
