Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the Islamic party’s reluctance to expedite the replacement suggested it had no issue with Hamzah continuing in the role.

“If PAS were truly aligned with Bersatu, it would have acted swiftly to remove Hamzah and appoint a successor.

“This situation opens the door to prolonged disputes and could widen the rift between PAS and Bersatu within Perikatan Nasional (PN),” he told FMT.

On Friday, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said a new opposition leader would be named before the Dewan Rakyat convenes for its next meeting in June.

He said the matter still needed to be discussed with PN components, although PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man later said the Islamic party had already identified its candidate.

However, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said PN could not afford to wait until just before the Dewan Rakyat convenes in June to name a new opposition leader as this could tarnish its image.

He said he had written to the PN Supreme Council asking for the matter to be expedited, but that no action was forthcoming.

PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar previously said that a new opposition leader from PAS would be finalised by the end of March. However, no announcement was made.

Hamzah, the Larut MP, remains opposition leader despite his sacking from Bersatu in February at the height of a leadership tussle with Muhyiddin.

Analyst Chin Yee Mun said the situation could expose weaknesses within the coalition.

“If PN delays appointing a new opposition leader, it will clearly reflect weakness within the bloc, as Hamzah no longer holds a position in any of the coalition’s component parties,” the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman academic said.

He also said the situation created the impression that PAS was disregarding the sensitivities of its partner, Bersatu.

“The longer Hamzah remains in the role, the stronger the perception that PAS is ignoring Bersatu’s concerns,” Chin said.