Kuala Lumpur, December 31: Malaysia’s former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday he would resign as leader of the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN), a move that could pave the way for the conservative Islamist party PAS to take a leading role in challenging Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Muhyiddin said his resignation as PN chairman would take effect on Jan. 1, without giving a reason for the decision. “I would like to thank all the PN leaders who have given me full support during my time leading PN,” he said in a statement, wishing the coalition’s leadership and member parties well.
Shortly after, PN Secretary-General Azmin Ali, a former economic minister, also announced he was stepping down, leaving the bloc’s leadership structure unclear.
The resignations come amid growing tensions within PN, a largely ethnic Malay Muslim coalition. PAS has accused Muhyiddin’s Bersatu party of attempting a leadership coup in the northern state of Perlis, which is governed by PN.
Bersatu itself has been facing internal turmoil, with several senior figures sacked or suspended in October amid calls for Muhyiddin to relinquish his role as party president and prime ministerial candidate.
PAS, which holds the most seats of any single party in Malaysia’s 222-member parliament, said it was prepared to lead the opposition alliance as the country heads toward state elections and a general election that must be held by early 2028.
“PAS hereby offers its willingness to lead Perikatan Nasional in order to strengthen the organisation and prepare for the elections,” party Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan said in a statement.
PN made significant gains in the 2022 general election, drawing strong support from more traditional Malay voters and younger Malays, and has emerged as a key challenger to Anwar’s more progressive, multi-ethnic governing coalition.
Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-faith nation, with ethnic Malay Muslims accounting for more than 60% of the population, alongside sizeable ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
Muhyiddin has led PN since its formation following a political crisis in 2020 that saw him appointed as Malaysia’s eighth prime minister. He held the post for 17 months before resigning in 2021 after losing his parliamentary majority, amid criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Anwar became prime minister in 2022, Muhyiddin was charged with corruption linked to projects launched during his premiership. His trial is due to begin in March. He has denied any wrongdoing, describing the charges as politically motivated.
