Everything in this story comes back to El Cabra. Everything leads to him, Cabrero Segundo, the “famous Lacandón,” the boss, a man of average height, about five foot five, brown-skinned, with a paunch, a goatee and tattoos: a cross on his left shoulder and a jaguar on his right. An eccentric character. In the film he had made about his life, he cast a hulking actor who was eight inches taller. At the height of his power he built a clandestine airstrip two minutes from his house to receive drug shipments. The night he kidnapped 33 soldiers, disarmed and stripped them — no one in the jungle forgets that — he spent the final hours before dawn snorting cocaine in front of them, using a banknote. El Cabra, a man with ambition.

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Photography and video:

Quetzalli Nicte-Ha

Visual editing:

Gladys Serrano and Mónica González

Layout and design:

Mónica Juárez Martín and Ángel Hernández

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — The future of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition hangs in the balance as PAS will convene a high-stakes central working committee (CWC) meeting tomorrow night to determine its ongoing relationship with Bersatu.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang confirmed the meeting today, when speaking to reporters following the launch of a book on the Iran-Israel war at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, Free Malaysia Today reported.

“It will be tomorrow, God willing, Monday. We will have a meeting at night,” Hadi said, addressing mounting speculation over when the party leadership would formally decide the trajectory of the PAS-Bersatu partnership.

The alliance between the two PN pillars has been tenuous since Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin was forced to resign as the chairman of the coalition last year.

The rift widened after Hadi publicly signalled that PAS would reassess its cooperation with Bersatu, delivering a pointed warning that the party’s “patience has its limits.”

At the core of the dispute are several high-friction issues that have eroded trust between the two parties.

Chief among these is Bersatu’s move to unseat the Perlis menteri besar, as well as allegations of Bersatu interfering in state-level appointments in the PAS strongholds of Kedah and Kelantan.

Adding to the tension is a strategic disagreement over the coalition's growth; Hadi alleged that Bersatu has consistently opposed the admission of new Malay-Muslim parties into the PN fold whereas the Islamist party has continued its outreach towards such groups.

“Where do the disappeared people in Mexico come from?” That is the question Dr. Luciano Valenzuela, a biologist, posed as he opened the workshop the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) organized to explain a new search method. It will be part of a project carried out over the next three years in Mexico and Central America to shorten the search for migrants who have disappeared on Mexican territory.

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Former MCA president Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek has reportedly said that PAS could win federal power “by default” in the next general election if Chinese voters avoid the polls or intentionally cast spoilt votes.

According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Chua said the possibility was already being “debated quietly” among Chinese voters, with some Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders believing that PAS could form the federal government if voters do not back the coalition.

“You know, Chinese are disillusioned with PH (and) DAP, although they will still continue to (vote) for DAP by default,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.

Chua reportedly said PAS would find it hard to gain ground in Sabah and Sarawak, which together have 56 parliamentary seats, while DAP is still expected to hold an advantage in 32 Chinese-majority seats.

He said this would realistically leave PAS competing over 134 seats in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, requiring an 84 per cent success rate to reach the 113 seats needed to form the federal government on its own.

“To me, unlikely — provided the Chinese come out to vote,” he reportedly told FMT.

He reportedly also said Perikatan Nasional’s attempt to present Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as a leader with wider national appeal had yet to prove itself with non-Muslim voters.

“Dr Sam is an unknown factor,” Chua was quoted as saying, referring to Ahmad Samsuri.

Chua reportedly said fresh discussions on Malay-based party alliances ahead of the Johor polls made Chinese voter turnout more crucial, as weaker Chinese turnout in close contests could improve PAS’s chances even without widespread national support.

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KANGAR, June 5 — Rumours of a no-confidence motion against Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah never materialised as the Perlis state assembly wrapped up its three-day sitting today.

Abu Bakar said this should end the polemics dogging his administration and prove that Perikatan Nasional (PN) representatives, especially from PAS and Bersatu, are still working together, Harian Metro reported this afternoon.

“Alhamdulillah, today it is crystal clear.

“Actually, this issue (vote of no-confidence) is deliberately being played up by parties who are trying to pit us against each other and break the relationship between Perlis PN representatives.

"However, in politics we have to consider various possibilities.

“But today we have succeeded in proving that there is absolutely no motion or matter that can damage and sever ties between Bersatu and PAS,” he told reporters after the sitting ended at Kompleks Seri Putra here.

The Bersatu politician also expressed his appreciation to all PN assemblymen, especially from PAS, for their full commitment in not bringing such a motion.

He said the consensus was also a manifestation of the representatives’ obedience in upholding the Perlis Ruler Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail's wish for his administration to continue until the end of the term in December 2027.

“I would like to thank all parties, especially the assemblymen from PAS.

“Unwanted matters have been avoided and most importantly, we always remain calm in PN,” he said.

Commenting on the sitting which began last Wednesday, he praised the professional attitude of all members who debated maturely without touching on personal sensitivities.

The sitting was initially scheduled for April 21 to 23, but was amended later.

This sparked various speculations including demands for explanations from six PAS representatives.

However, Abu Bakar said the date change was made to give him space to carefully map out his leadership direction and state planning, as he had only been in the post for three months.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 9 — PAS leadership has remained tight-lipped over the party’s position in Perikatan Nasional (PN) following its announcement to end political cooperation with Bersatu.

However, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari indicated that the party is, for now, still part of the coalition, Berita Harian reported today.

“I don’t want to comment further at this point. As of tonight, that is the situation (still in PN),” he told reporters after a special PAS central working committee meeting at the party headquarters here last night.

Earlier, PAS surprised the political landscape by announcing an immediate end to its political cooperation with Bersatu after reviewing the direction and status of ties between the two parties.

The decision was made during the special meeting chaired by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

When asked whether the decision to sever ties with Bersatu was supported by the majority of senior party leadership, Ahmad Fadhli declined to elaborate on the proceedings.

“I cannot comment on the meeting process. No, it wasn’t heated… the air-conditioning was working well,” he said.

The meeting reportedly did not discuss PAS’s position within PN.

Separately, Perlis PN chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim also declined to comment in detail, instead referring media to the official statement issued by the PAS president.

“The president’s statement did not touch on PN, so the position remains as before (still intact),” he said.

On the political situation in Perlis following the decision, Shahidan said he would issue a further statement once he receives instructions from the central leadership.

“I will issue a statement on Perlis once I receive further instructions from PAS central leadership,” he added.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — PAS said Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin's return as Opposition Leader had long been its preferred outcome, adding that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia had previously been uncomfortable with him remaining in the role following his expulsion from the party.

Berita Harian reported that PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the Islamist party had wanted to retain Hamzah in the role from the outset because of his performance and the support he commanded among Opposition lawmakers.

“Actually, from the very beginning, we wanted to retain Datuk Seri Hamzah because of his performance and because many MPs were with him. It was just that Bersatu was not particularly comfortable with Hamzah’s position at the time, as he had been expelled from the party.

“So when he formed a new party (Parti Wawasan Negara) and joined us (PAS), we thought we should continue to retain him (as Opposition Leader),” Tuan Ibrahim told reporters after a pre-election ceramah at the PAS operations centre in Seremban last night.

According to the national daily, Tuan Ibrahim said the arrangement had already been agreed upon before PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was appointed PN chairman in February, after Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stepped aside from the position.

Hamzah had relinquished the role after being expelled from Bersatu, with Ahmad Samsuri succeeding him as Opposition Leader following PN's Supreme Council meeting on May 16.

Tuan Ibrahim added that Hamzah’s decision to establish Parti Wawasan Negara and align himself with PAS meant the issue was no longer tied to Bersatu.

“Because he formed a new party and is with us, we decided to retain him once again,” he said.

Yesterday, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang announced that Hamzah, who is also the Larut MP, would return as Opposition Leader during the RESET convention in Tanah Merah, Kelantan.

Hadi said PAS and the RESET movement had agreed to retain Hamzah in the role, adding that the decision had been reached through consultation within PAS and among MPs.

TOKYO, June 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reaffirmed the Unity Government’s commitment to its coalition partners, saying it would not take any action that could be perceived as a betrayal of the existing political consensus.

Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said the government remained stable, with all parties continuing to respect the understanding reached to ensure the country’s political stability.

“So far, I have not heard any such views. In fact, members of the Cabinet and the leadership represented in it have consistently maintained that the Unity Government at the national level must remain strong,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

The Unity Government, formed after the 15th general election in 2022, comprises PH, Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and several other parties.

Anwar, who is also PKR president, was commenting on claims that several former Bersatu state assemblymen could join PKR following recent developments in the political relationship between Bersatu and PAS.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang on Monday announced that the party had formally decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu after taking into account reports, studies and current assessments of the relationship between the two parties.

Anwar stressed that the coalition’s political approach remained rooted in consultation, discussion and cooperation, rather than abruptly severing ties.

“In politics, this business of divorcing, pronouncing ‘talak’ and remarrying is not our way. We negotiate properly, discuss matters properly and cooperate properly. For now, the Unity Government remains intact, although there are some differences of opinion at the state level,” he said.

He said decisions made at the state level were the responsibility of the respective leadership and those involved should be accountable for them.

The prime minister said the government’s main focus remained on implementing the national development agenda, including fulfilling international commitments and strengthening economic cooperation.

Anwar is scheduled to attend the Asean-Russia meeting in Kazan next week before travelling to Turkmenistan to explore cooperation opportunities in the energy sector, particularly in relation to gas resources. — Bernama

JOHOR BAHRU, June 10 — Johor PAS will contest the upcoming state election under an electoral pact with an alliance of Malay-Muslim political parties, after recently ending its political cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

Johor PAS Commissioner Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed said the pact was aimed at maximising the parties’ combined strengths.

He said the parties, which share similar political goals, are Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Berjasa Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman).

“This is a temporary political alliance as an official coalition would take up time and will not be registered in time for the Johor polls.

“Under this electoral pact, it is agreed that PAS and the other participating parties will use our respective logos to contest,” he told reporters after chairing a state-level meeting at the Johor PAS office in Bandar Baru Uda here last night.

Mahfodz said discussions on seat distribution for the Johor polls were still ongoing and are expected to be finalised by the party’s central leadership on June 12.

He said prominent PAS central committee member and strategist Tan Sri Annuar Musa has been appointed as the party’s Johor election director.

“Johor PAS has also not decided on the number of seats to contest for the upcoming Johor election. We need to decide on our new objectives after severing ties with Bersatu late Monday,” said the PAS Syura Council member.

Mahfodz explained that PAS initially had 15 seats under a previous arrangement with Bersatu for the upcoming Johor election.

“This figure is the same that PAS had in the previous Johor state election,” he said, adding that PAS will need to renegotiate the number of seats after severing its ties with Bersatu.

Mahfodz, who is also the Johor Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman, said there is a likelihood that PAS would clash with Bersatu in the upcoming state polls.

He said it is inevitable that PAS would compete with Bersatu in certain seats.

On PAS having a strategic tie-up with Barisan Nasional (BN), Mahfodz said party leaders at the state level have reached out to explore possible cooperation.

“Johor PAS has held informal discussions with the state BN, but there is no firm agreement yet,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — PAS will discuss Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) position with Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) this week, after ending its political cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

PAS central committee member and PN information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the decision was “nothing personal”, adding that it only involved political cooperation between PAS and Bersatu, and did not involve PN as a coalition.

“PN’s position will be discussed together with its component parties, particularly PAS, Gerakan and MIPP. The discussion will also be held this week,” he said in a Facebook post.

Annuar said PAS remained committed to multiracial political cooperation and appreciated the positive attitude shown by Gerakan and MIPP within PN.

He said PAS would ensure that its next move in PN is based on the coalition’s constitution, and not on the “superiority” of any individual or party.

He also said party-level ties with Bersatu had ended, but relations between individual members would continue as usual, adding that positions held by individuals in PAS-led governments would not be affected for now as long as they supported and cooperated with PAS.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — PAS today officially decided to terminate its political cooperation with Bersatu.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said the decision was made during a special meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee yesterday, after taking into account reports, studies and the current assessment of relations between the two parties.

He said the action was also taken to endorse the Syura Council’s June 2 decision on policy, legal and public-interest considerations regarding the party’s political cooperation based on the principle of Muslim unity.

On June 2, PAS Syura Council secretary Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh said the party had taken serious note of the crisis and internal conflict within Bersatu, which were seen to be affecting Perikatan Nasional. — Bernama