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Pas paid a heavy price for 'strange politics' in Johor election, says former UMNO leader
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Elections & Politics

Pas paid a heavy price for 'strange politics' in Johor election, says former UMNO leader

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Former UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr. Mohd. Puad Zarkashi criticized Pas's political strategy in the Johor State Election (PRN) 2026.
  • Puad argued that Pas's actions demonstrated the party's unreliability as a political partner and that Pas was the ultimate loser in the election.
  • He questioned Pas's contribution to Barisan Nasional's (BN) significant victory, suggesting the impact was minimal compared to the "blue wave" and Chinese voters' support.

Datuk Dr. Mohd. Puad Zarkashi, a former UMNO Supreme Council member, has sharply criticized the Pas party's political maneuvering during the Johor State Election (PRN) 2026. Puad asserted that Pas paid a heavy price for its "strange politics," which he claimed involved undermining its own component allies, thereby proving the party cannot be a reliable political partner.

Pas paid a heavy price in the Johor PRN 2026. They practiced strange politics. Willing to kill their own component friends.

— Datuk Dr. Mohd. Puad ZarkashiCommenting on Pas's political strategy in the Johor State Election.

"Pas paid a heavy price in the Johor PRN 2026. They practiced strange politics. Willing to kill their own component friends," Puad stated in a Facebook post. He further elaborated that Pas has now become a complete party that cannot be a political partner, labeling them as "the loser." Consequently, he argued, Pas should not be awarded appointed assembly seats.

Now Pas is complete as a party that cannot be a partner. Pas is 'the loser'. Therefore, it is not appropriate for Pas to get appointed ADUN.

— Datuk Dr. Mohd. Puad ZarkashiAssessing Pas's position after the Johor State Election.

Puad suggested that Pas's biggest victory in the Johor PRN was not in terms of seats won, but rather in its success in completely ending Bersatu's influence. However, he questioned the actual contribution of Pas to the significant victory achieved by Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Johor PRN. Puad contended that if Pas supporters did vote for BN, the numbers were too small, citing the low vote counts Pas received in constituencies like Tiram, Tenang, Kahang, Jementah, and Simpang Jeram.

What was Pas's contribution to BN's big win in the Johor PRN? If Pas supporters voted for BN, the amount is considered too small based on the votes the party received in several contested seats.

— Datuk Dr. Mohd. Puad ZarkashiQuestioning Pas's influence on Barisan Nasional's victory.

According to Puad, BN's substantial win was primarily driven by a strong "blue wave" and the return of Chinese voters' support to the coalition. "So BN's victory was certainly due to the very strong blue wave alongside Chinese voters returning to support BN," he concluded, downplaying Pas's role in the electoral outcome.

So BN's victory was certainly due to the very strong blue wave alongside Chinese voters returning to support BN.

— Datuk Dr. Mohd. Puad ZarkashiAttributing BN's success to other factors beyond Pas's support.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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