PETALING JAYA: Wawasan has the potential to soften PAS’s hardline image and help Perikatan Nasional win support from non-Malay voters as well as Malay fence-sitters, an analyst said.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said Hamzah Zainudin’s party, which welcomes members from all races, could serve as a conduit for PAS to broaden its influence beyond its traditional strongholds.
“The existing perception is that PAS is a fairly conservative party, with influence largely limited to the traditional Malay states,” he told FMT.
He said PAS, through its cooperation with Bersatu, had previously enjoyed cross-ethnic support when Perikatan Nasional was led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, particularly outside the northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
However, with PAS and Bersatu having severed ties, Mazlan said Wawasan could step into that role to attract voters who are typically beyond the Islamic party’s reach.
He said this could be achieved as Wawasan’s membership is open to Malaysians of all races and religions.
PAS severed political ties with Bersatu on June 8, although both parties remain in PN.
Five days later, Hamzah, the former Bersatu deputy president, launched Wawasan, which was later accepted into PN together with Pejuang, led by former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir.
Mazlan said cooperation with Wawasan would be easier for PAS, as the party is not competing to be the “big brother” or dominant force in an alliance.
However, he said the situation was different with Umno, which aspires to return as the main force given its history and governance record over more than 60 years.
“Umno is certainly the bigger party and the oldest in historical terms,” he said.
Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia disagreed, saying Wawasan’s presence was unlikely to change voters’ perception of PAS as a hardline party.
She said PAS’s conservative image was not necessarily a liability, as it continues to resonate with the party’s core supporters and segments of the Malay electorate.
“Wawasan’s role is really to get non-Malay support.
“So it is not about making PAS less hardline, but making PN as a whole more acceptable to non-Malays,” she said.
However, Syaza said Wawasan cannot achieve this on its own, and that Umno's presence may be essential to reshape perceptions of the coalition.
Governing experience
Apart from efforts to attract voter support, Syaza said the presence of figures such as Hamzah and Saifuddin Abdullah, who have both served in Cabinet, could help PN counter perceptions that the coalition lacks governing experience.
She added that their experience in portfolios such as home and foreign affairs was crucial, as PAS is still perceived as lacking leaders capable of engaging in policy debates beyond race and religion.
“If they had that, I believe they would push for policy discussions.
“That is why they are pushing Dr Sam forward, but he alone is not enough,” she said, referring to PAS vice-president and Terengganu menteri besar, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
Mazlan agreed that Hamzah and Saifuddin’s experience as ministers, as well as their national image, could give PN an advantage.
“In terms of experience, leaders like Hamzah are far more experienced than their PAS counterparts,” he said.
He said that experience could help PN broaden its political approach by giving greater attention to policy issues rather than focusing solely on religion and race.
Such an approach, he said, was vital in attracting moderate and progressive voters who want PN to present concrete policies and solutions to national challenges.