Tuan Ibrahim said the PN Supreme Council has not deliberated on the matter.

“The question of who will be PN’s prime ministerial candidate should not become a point of contention,” he told FMT.

“At this juncture, our focus should be on strengthening the coalition, engaging with the people, and addressing their welfare needs.”

He called on PN component parties, particularly Bersatu and Gerakan, to channel their efforts into expanding grassroots networks and preparing for the next elections.

“It would be far more productive for PN components to work on expanding party branches, increasing membership, and organising programmes to connect with the people,” he said.

Tuan Ibrahim said decisions on party policies, including leadership matters, should be left to PN’s top leaders to address when the time is right.

For now, he said, the immediate priority is gearing up for the Sabah state election expected next year.

“We are confident in the leadership of Bersatu, which recently concluded its party elections. The focus now is on crafting effective strategies to gain the trust of Sabahans, who gave us the mandate in the previous state election,” he said.

The debate over PN’s prime ministerial candidate began when Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu insisted that Muhyiddin Yassin should remain as the coalition’s “poster boy” for the GE16 campaign.

This prompted PAS spiritual adviser Hashim Jasin to say the Islamic party was more deserving of leading PN since it has more MPs and a stronger grassroots network nationwide.

He also said PAS did not have a record of elected representatives party-hopping, unlike Bersatu.

However, Gerakan president Dominic Lau backed Muhyiddin as PN’s prime ministerial candidate, citing his experience, commitment to collaboration, and support across the PN ranks.