KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said the party’s immediate priority is to stabilise Perikatan Nasional (PN), which is facing internal instability following disputes over its new chairman and growing tensions within Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

He said consolidating PN was crucial to the coalition’s mission of taking over Putrajaya at the 16th general election, stressing that the effort must involve all components.

Asked about whether Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who was expelled from Bersatu along with 16 MPs, would join another party next week as reported, Hadi said the matter remained entirely his decision.

“That is up to him. What’s important is that we want to save PN first because PAS believes that if we are to govern the country, it must involve everyone,” he said to Utusan Malaysia after delivering a morning religious lecture at Masjid Rusila yesterday.

Reports had suggested that Hamzah and the 16 former Bersatu MPs were preparing to announce a political “new home”, with Azahari Hassan saying that several Bersatu division chiefs who support Hamzah were also expected to join the new platform.

According to the national daily, PAS has already identified its preferred candidate to take over as PN chairman, with the final decision to be made by the coalition’s top leadership.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan was quoted as saying the party still intends to lead PN and will announce its nominee tomorrow during an extraordinary supreme council meeting.

Hadi confirmed the meeting would not only discuss a successor to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned on January 1, but would likely also address the appointment of a new Opposition Leader.

He maintained that Hamzah is free to decide his political future after being removed from Bersatu, and declined to comment on whether clashes might arise if Hamzah’s eventual “new home” seeks to join PN while Bersatu remains within the bloc.

The Marang MP also acknowledged that both groups — the “Hamzah camp” and the “Muhyiddin camp” — had separately sought him out to present their positions.

“Hamzah’s side met me, Muhyiddin’s side also met me. Both came. Each had their arguments; I listened to both sides and we want to resolve this,” he said.

Hamzah last week posted a photograph on Facebook of a meeting with Hadi and several PAS leaders in Rusila — a meeting reported to have taken place before his expulsion as Bersatu’s deputy president.

On Wednesday, Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, newly appointed to perform the duties of Bersatu’s deputy president, also met Hadi on behalf of the Muhyiddin faction.