By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-06-13 14:01:28 | Updated at 2026-06-14 07:55:45
18 hours ago
Malaysia’s former parliamentary opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin unveiled a new political party on June 13, as groups jockey for influence ahead of the next general election.
Parti Wawasan Negara will cooperate with other opposition groups, including the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party and Gerakan, Hamzah said in a speech in Kelantan state on June 13. He spoke at an event called the Reset Convention, which he said was a movement aimed at rebuilding the country.
Hamzah, once the deputy president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, was ousted from the party in February following a leadership battle. Before his expulsion from Bersatu, Hamzah had faced accusations of backing moves to oust the party’s co-founder, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, as its head.
Abdul Hadi Awang, president of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, sat alongside Hamzah on stage on June 13 and gave a speech at the gathering in a sign of support for the new group. Hamzah said Hadi had suggested the name for Parti Wawasan Negara. PAS had severed ties with Bersatu earlier this week.
Malaysia’s opposition is entering a new phase of realignment after years of infighting. With PAS emerging as the coalition’s dominant force, Hamzah’s new party may offer a vehicle to broaden opposition appeal beyond the Islamist movement while preserving its influence over the Malay-Muslim electorate. Comprising nearly 60 per cent of the voting population, ethnic Malays are constitutionally defined as Muslim.
A former home minister, Hamzah remains an influential figure in Malaysian politics. He led a wave of departures from UMNO, which ruled the country for six decades after independence until losing power in 2018. BLOOMBERG
