Their remarks follow those of Urimai chairman P Ramasamy, who claimed on May 8 that no PAS leader could match Muhyiddin’s national political experience.
He also said that Pakatan Harapan (PH) fears the Pagoh MP more than any PAS figure because of his broader non-Malay appeal.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said Ramasamy’s framing should be read within his political worldview of Malaysia as a plural society.
He said PAS continued to face an uphill battle in winning over non-Muslims, given the party’s long association with religious governance, despite PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar’s image as a credible figure based on his professional background and track record in Terengganu.
“Non-Muslim leaders would naturally feel that PAS cannot lead the country if PN wins the next general election.
“Even if PAS wins more seats, from the perspective of non-Muslim leaders like Ramasamy, someone like Muhyiddin would be seen as more fitting to lead,” Mazlan told FMT.
He added that Muhyiddin’s perceived suitability within the group stemmed partly from Bersatu’s ideological similarities to Umno, the party that anchored the federal government for decades.
But Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia pushed back on the claim that Anwar Ibrahim’s government is more anxious about Muhyiddin than PAS.
She said Muhyiddin might have broader political experience, but his position in PN still relies on PAS support.
“Muhyiddin cannot rise as prime minister without PAS support. So I think Anwar is still more concerned about support for PAS,” she said.
Syaza said the main difference between Muhyiddin and Samsuri was experience, as Muhyiddin had served as prime minister while PAS has never led the federal government.
But she cautioned against reading the gap as a decisive advantage, saying less experience also means less political baggage.
“I don’t think Muhyiddin or Dr Sam is really popular among the non-Malays,” she said, referring to Samsuri.
“Dr Sam may have less experience than Muhyiddin, but that also means he has less baggage.
“If non-Malays are truly fed up with PH, I think Dr Sam could also be a draw,” she said.