KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) has yet to name a prime minister candidate for the 16th general election (GE16), with PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang citing concerns over leader integrity and election strategy.
Speaking during the 2026 Supply Bill debate in the Dewan Rakyat, Hadi, who is also PN’s deputy chairman, said the coalition of PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is prioritising the integrity of its leaders while avoiding risks that could compromise them.
“Why haven’t we announced (the candidate) from the start… the reason is to safeguard their safety, because there are risks if we reveal the PM candidate too early,” he said, as reported by Utusan Malaysia.
“Sometimes, if it is known someone is the prime minister candidate, they may be bribed with gold bars, have gold bars placed in their car, drugs planted, and so on.
“That person could then be disqualified from contesting because of these actions.
“This is something everyone needs to understand,” he added.
Abdul Hadi stressed that PN must first focus on winning the election before considering who will be prime minister.
“If you don’t win the election, how can you become prime minister?” he said.
The issue arose after Bersatu’s annual general meeting passed a motion to nominate its president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as PN’s candidate for Malaysia’s 11th prime minister.
Abdul Hadi also said PN would seek to bring change to national leadership if it wins GE16.
He noted that PAS is introducing an Islamic-based selection process, in which candidates are assessed on integrity, knowledge, and character.
“If there is misconduct, it is not just misconduct against the party, but moral transgressions as well; the person will be expelled from the party, even if it means we have fewer seats,” he said.
