KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — Widening cracks within Perikatan Nasional (PN) were exposed today after PAS publicly questioned Bersatu’s electoral readiness and floated the possibility of going it alone at the next general election.
The Islamist party’s information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari also delivered a pointed critique of Bersatu’s organisational strength and electoral performance, questioning whether continued cooperation remained viable.
“After the 16th general election, will there be consideration of going it alone in forming the federal government?” he said in a statement on his social media platforms.
He also addressed claims surrounding the party’s internal machinery, saying structural weaknesses were not unusual for newer political parties but must be acknowledged rather than denied.
“It is not wrong for a party to have no machinery. In fact, it is even more understandable if it is a new party, but the problem is the failure to acknowledge that weakness and smallness,” he said.
The Pasir Mas MP said that prolonged organisational instability would not amount to genuine strengthening of a party.
“However, if over the years after an election there is constant disarray, it is not party strengthening. It is merely a process of preparing personal supporters to become candidates and then riding on the strength of a partner party,” he said.
He added that electoral outcomes reflected what he described as flawed strategic assessment and poor understanding of ground realities.
“That is why the party concerned contests more seats than its coalition partners, but often fails to win more. It is the result of inaccurate study and reading of the situation,” he said.
The remarks come amid ongoing friction within the federal Opposition coalition, with recent incidents in Perlis and Negeri Sembilan also fuelling questions about internal coordination between its component parties.
Ahmad Fadhli’s comments were made in reference to a recent speech by Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Azmin Ali in Melaka, which has been interpreted by some within PN as exposing underlying weaknesses in the party machinery.
