PN deregistration will not extinguish people’s support, says Samsuri

Perikatan Nasional chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has warned unnamed politicians in power that public support for the coalition will not be easily extinguished by its deregistration.

“Remember, the people’s wave of support will not be easily extinguished by the actions of politicians hiding behind positions of power,” he said in a statement today.

Samsuri questioned the timing of the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) decision to cancel PN's registration, which came just two days before a scheduled High Court hearing and ahead of the Malacca state election.

“What happened a day before the case was brought to court was an extraordinary move. Truly extraordinary, perhaps even unnatural,” he said.

He also noted that the Election Commission had written to PN just two days earlier, seeking clarification on the coalition’s use of its logo in the upcoming state election.

"All these actions, which coincide with the timeline leading up to the announcement of candidates for the Malacca state election, come at a time when the EC had, only two days ago, sent a letter to PN seeking its response regarding the use of the PN logo.

"This clearly shows that the actions were motivated by fear of this coalition," he said.

Samsuri claimed that unnamed politicians wanted PN deregistered before they would agree to join its rivals.

The ROS, a regulatory body under the Home Ministry led by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, announced PN’s deregistration earlier today after finding the coalition’s explanations to its Sept 22 show-cause notice - based on a complaint by Bersatu - unsatisfactory.

PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan has accused the government of abuse of power and bad faith, asking why the registrar could not wait for the Oct 22 High Court hearing on PN’s application to stay the ROS’ action.

Deregistration ‘foreseeable’

However, political analyst Yusri Ibrahim said PN’s deregistration should not have come as a surprise, given the prolonged power struggle between PAS and Bersatu.

The Ilham Centre head of research said several actions during the dispute appeared to breach PN’s constitution, while analysts had repeatedly warned that the conflict could invite ROS intervention.

“The ROS decision was not unexpected. In fact, it could have been anticipated from the beginning, and warnings had been issued by political analysts, including myself.

“In other words, don’t blame others, don’t look for scapegoats or point fingers, because all of this was foreseeable.

“Even under those circumstances, why did the PN leadership fail to take those warnings and predictions seriously?” he told Malaysiakini.

The internal dispute escalated after PAS and Bersatu clashed over control of PN, culminating in Bersatu’s complaint to the ROS over its exclusion from a PN supreme council meeting on July 16.

The admission of Wawasan into PN, led by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin and comprising figures opposed to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, further deepened the divide.

BN to gain more than Harapan

Yusri said the deregistration would hurt PN as a whole, but PAS stood to lose the most after successfully expanding beyond its traditional strongholds in Kelantan, Terengganu, and parts of northern Peninsular Malaysia.

He attributed much of that expansion to the PN brand, which helped the Islamist party appeal to Malay voters on the West Coast and perform strongly in the 15th general election and the subsequent six state elections.

“Without the PN brand, voters’ confidence in PAS may not be the same, particularly in states such as Perak, Selangor, and Penang,” he said.

However, Yusri believed BN, rather than Harapan, would benefit most from PN’s deregistration, given Umno’s competition with PAS for conservative Malay voters.

“When the PN brand can no longer be used, particularly outside Kelantan and Terengganu, this will present a major opportunity for Umno-BN to regain support from conservative Malay voters.

“If conservative Malay voters lose confidence in PN because its brand can no longer be used, they will not vote for Harapan. Instead, they will return to voting for BN,” he said.

PAS-Umno cooperation?

Yusri also predicted that PN’s deregistration could revive efforts to bring PAS and Umno together under the banner of Muslim unity.

He said support for such cooperation existed within both parties, and the latest developments could encourage certain Umno leaders to pursue the initiative more actively.

“With PN’s deregistration, these efforts may gain further momentum among certain Umno leaders.

“However, in my view, cooperation between BN and PAS in the context of elections and political power is not sustainable,” he said.

He argued that both parties would struggle to maintain a lasting partnership because they compete for the same Malay voter base.

“Umno will not allow PAS to become stronger because a stronger PAS means taking support away from Umno, and vice versa,” Yusri said.

He also identified seat negotiations and competition over the prime minister’s position as potential obstacles to any renewed alliance.

"Even if they do cooperate, it will only be for the short term," he said.

The possibility of renewed PAS-Umno cooperation has gained momentum ahead of the Malacca state election, despite lingering differences between the two parties.

On Oct 17, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said his party was prepared to accept BN leading the Malacca government and participate in its administration if they secured victory in the polls.

However, negotiations over seat allocations have yet to be finalised.

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