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Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan), led by former Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, is expected to make its maiden electoral outing in next month’s Johor state election by contesting two seats associated with Bersatu — Bukit Kepong and Endau.
According to party sources, the two constituencies, both previously won by Bersatu candidates under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner, are now expected to be handed over to Wawasan as part of efforts to accommodate Hamzah’s new political vehicle within the opposition coalition.
The source also indicated that Wawasan’s candidates are likely to contest under the PN logo.
“I cannot confirm who the candidates will be just yet, but these two seats will indeed be contested by Wawasan,” said the source, who requested anonymity.
Bukit Kepong is currently represented by Datuk Dr Ahmad Sahruddin Jamal, the former Johor Menteri Besar and a close ally of Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The two-term assemblyman also serves as Johor PN chairman, making the seat one of Bersatu’s most symbolic strongholds in the state.
Meanwhile, the Endau seat has already been thrown open following the departure of its incumbent, Alwiyah Talib, who announced earlier that she had left Bersatu and returned to Umno.
Like Ahmad Sahruddin, Alwiyah is also a two-term assemblyman, having successfully defended the constituency in consecutive elections.
Relations between Bersatu and PAS effectively collapsed after the Islamist party announced that it had severed ties with its coalition partner, triggering fresh questions over the future of the opposition bloc.
Tensions have only intensified following the removal of two senior Bersatu leaders from the PN leadership structure.
READ MORE: Feud With PAS Deepens As Two Senior Bersatu Leaders Axed From PN Leadership Structure
Former education minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin was recently replaced as PN election director by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, while Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali was dropped from his position as deputy secretary-general of the coalition.
The move is widely seen as an attempt to weaken Bersatu’s standing within PN and pave the way for a new balance of power within the opposition alliance.
Should Wawasan indeed inherit two Bersatu-held seats in Johor, it would represent another sign that Hamzah’s camp is steadily being reintegrated into PN — potentially at the expense of his former party.
READ MORE: Bersatu Needs Perikatan Nasional Brand More Than PAS Does, Says Political Analyst
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