PAS may have succeeded in denying Bersatu any representation in the Johor state assembly, but the party also suffered a major setback after losing its only previously held seat, according to former Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi.
Puad said PAS’s decision not to actively support its Perikatan Nasional (PN) partner during the Johor state election campaign had contributed to Bersatu’s complete defeat in the polls.
However, he noted that PAS itself was also unable to retain its sole seat in the state, with the Maharani constituency falling to Umno.
Describing the move as a costly political strategy, Puad claimed PAS had shown that it could not be relied upon as a coalition partner and urged the Johor government not to consider appointing any PAS representatives as assemblymen.
“PAS paid a heavy price in the Johor election. The party chose a path that resulted in the downfall of its own coalition partner,” he said in a Facebook post.
PAS had previously encouraged its members and supporters to back Barisan Nasional (BN) in areas where PN did not field candidates. While some leaders rejected claims of a secret cooperation with Umno, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said both parties had improved ties to strengthen Malay-Muslim support.
However, Puad rejected claims that PAS supporters were a major factor behind BN’s landslide victory, pointing to the limited vote share obtained by PAS candidates in several contested seats.
He said BN’s success was largely driven by strong voter support for the coalition, including a return of Chinese voters who backed BN in the Johor polls.
BN secured a dominant victory by winning 48 out of 56 Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) seats, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) won the remaining eight seats. PN, which contested all 33 seats, failed to win any representation after losing the three seats it previously held from the 2022 state election.
