KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin will continue to serve as Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat for the time being, despite his recent dismissal from Bersatu.
Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the bloc has not submitted any formal notice to replace Hamzah.
“I have just met Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, and at this point, Hamzah remains the Opposition leader. He has agreed, and that is our current position,” the Kota Bharu MP told reporters at a press conference in Parliament.
Takiyuddin added that no changes to the seating arrangement are planned, noting that only two days remain in the current sitting.
“There are just two days left. We do not anticipate any changes,” he said.
Hamzah, the MP for Larut, was expelled from Bersatu on February 13.
Previously, PAS, the component party holding the largest number of seats within the Opposition bloc indicated that any new Opposition leader would be selected from among its MPs.
This development follows the appointment of PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as the new chairman of Perikatan Nasional.
Under Standing Order 4A(1) of the Dewan Rakyat, the House must have a Leader of the Opposition. Standing Order 4A(4) further stipulates that the Speaker’s decision is final in the event of a dispute over the selection of a candidate to lead the Opposition.
Should PAS assume the post, political observers have named several potential candidates, including Ahmad Samsuri, Takiyuddin – who is also PAS secretary-general – and PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. – February 26, 2026