KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — PAS has confirmed it has put forward only one name for the post of Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, with the coalition expected to settle the matter at a supreme council meeting tomorrow.
PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden told New Straits Times that, to his knowledge, the party had submitted “only one candidate”, and expressed hope that the meeting at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur would take place smoothly.
“InsyaAllah, in the spirit of Ramadan, I expect the meeting to proceed harmoniously,” said Afnan, who also serves as PN Youth chief.
The leadership vacancy follows Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation on January 1.
While PAS appears to have decided on a single nominee, its coalition partners remain cautious.
Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) president Punithan Paramsiven said the appointment of a new PN chairman was “not a straightforward matter”, stressing the need for consensus and careful scrutiny.
“We will wait until tomorrow. There is no official candidate yet for us to decide on. There must be consensus… we will see who is put forward first, then only make a decision,” he said, as reported by the national daily.
“It is not easy to choose a PN chairman as many factors need to be examined in depth.”
Punithan said all PN supreme council members were expected to attend, adding that MIPP would also be proposing its own candidate.
“Yes, MIPP will propose a candidate tomorrow,” he confirmed.
Yesterday, PAS president and PN deputy chairman Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said the meeting would not only discuss the appointment of a new coalition leader but was also expected to deliberate on the selection of a new Opposition Leader in Parliament.
He said PAS would take the lead in PN following Muhyiddin’s departure.
