Perikatan Nasional (PN) has officially named Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as the new Opposition Leader, replacing Hamzah Zainudin following weeks of speculation over the post.
PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the decision was finalised during the coalition’s Supreme Council meeting held in Kuala Lumpur today.
According to him, the council unanimously agreed for the Kemaman MP to lead the opposition bloc in Parliament and spearhead the coalition’s direction on national issues and policy debates.
Samsuri, who recently took over as PN chairman after Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down, is also expected to coordinate the opposition’s overall parliamentary strategy moving forward.
Takiyuddin added that the meeting also touched on future political cooperation, including plans to strengthen electoral alliances with parties seen to share similar goals and interests with PN.
He said PN remains committed to functioning as a strong and principled check-and-balance force against the federal government while continuing to raise issues affecting the rakyat.
The appointment comes after uncertainty surrounding Hamzah’s position as opposition leader since April, when Samsuri revealed that Hamzah was no longer holding the role and instructed PN leadership to notify the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
However, Speaker Johari Abdul previously stated that no official notice had been received regarding Hamzah’s resignation, meaning he technically remained opposition leader at the time.
Hamzah was earlier removed from Bersatu in February amid an internal leadership conflict involving party president Muhyiddin Yassin, triggering major changes within PN’s leadership structure.
