PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man also said there was no question over Muhyiddin’s position as PN’s prime minister candidate, quashing claims the Islamic party wanted to push its vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar for the candidacy.

Samsuri, who is the Terengganu menteri besar and MP for Kemaman, has been bandied about as a possible prime minister candidate, which Muhyiddin did not discount.

“The relationship (between Hadi and Muhyiddin) is very close. We just held a meeting of the PN Supreme Council and the PAS president (Hadi) frequently meets and discusses matters with Muhyiddin.

“The question of the prime minister candidate also does not arise, because all main issues are discussed within PN,” Tuan Ibrahim told FMT.

Quoting sources, FMT recently reported that the relationship between Hadi and Muhyiddin turned cold following Muhyiddin’s “U-turn” on defending his presidency at the Bersatu polls, which scuttled PAS’s plans to push Samsuri as the opposition’s candidate for prime minister in the next general election.

According to the source, Muhyiddin’s about-turn at the Bersatu general meeting in November was seen as the Pagoh MP’s attempt to keep hold of the PN chairmanship and subsequently be appointed as the next prime minister if PN wins.

The source said Muhyiddin and Hadi had not shared the same stage since the PAS muktamar last October, while another source said Hadi had not been attending PN meetings for a long time.

The source compared the situation to the “death” of Muafakat Nasional, the electoral pact forged between PAS and Umno in 2019 to woo the Malay electorate, saying that Hadi’s absence and representation by Tuan Ibrahim shows the weakening ties between the two parties.