KOTA BARU — Former parliamentary opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin announced a new political party, Parti Wawasan Negara, on June 13 as opposition groups reposition ahead of the next general election. Speaking at the Reset Convention in Kelantan, Hamzah said the party will cooperate with other opposition forces, including the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Gerakan.
Hamzah, once deputy president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), was expelled from the party in February following an internal leadership struggle that included allegations he backed attempts to remove Bersatu co-founder and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. At the launch event, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang sat beside Hamzah and delivered a supporting speech; Hamzah said Hadi had proposed the new party’s name. PAS had earlier this week cut ties with Bersatu.
Malaysia’s opposition is undergoing a fresh realignment after prolonged internal disputes. With PAS now the dominant force within the opposition coalition, Hamzah’s new outfit could help broaden appeal beyond the Islamist base while maintaining influence among Malay-Muslim voters, who make up about 60% of the electorate and are constitutionally defined as Muslim.
A former home minister, Hamzah remains a notable political figure who previously led a series of departures from UMNO, the party that governed Malaysia for six decades until its 2018 defeat.