KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 – PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Hashim Jasin has reportedly urged Perikatan Nasional (PN) to hold discussions on the coalition’s chairmanship and its candidate for prime minister in the 16th general election (GE16).

Hashim said the talks should involve all component parties to ensure a collective decision is reached based on the coalition’s strengths and current political realities.

"The matter needs to be negotiated [by all PN component parties] rather than being decided by one party only.

"The negotiations have to be based on current realities and the strength of the respective component parties,” he reportedly told Free Malaysia Today.

"We can’t have one party saying that it should be so and so. That’s not right when we’re all part of a coalition,” he added.

Hashim was responding to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Supreme Council member Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan who insisted that Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will remain PN’s prime ministerial candidate.

Wan Saiful said Muhyiddin, a former prime minister, is the coalition’s best option to lead at the next general election, dismissing the idea of a PAS leader taking charge.

Yesterday, Malay daily Utusan Malaysia cited Hashim saying PAS is more suited to lead the coalition and that it has not endorsed Muhyiddin to be PN’s prime minister candidate in GE16.

He said PAS has more federal seats, a longer record in Parliament, and a proven political network across the country.

In response, Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau backed Muhyiddin, saying eligibility to become prime minister does not depend on the number of parliamentary seats and the strength of a party’s grassroots.