KUALA LUMPUR (June 22): Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul announced that Larut Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has been reappointed as the opposition leader, effective June 18.

Hamzah takes over the role from Kemaman MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition's chairman, after serving less than a month in the position.

The development comes amid rising tensions within PN following a split between its two main component parties, PAS and Bersatu.

Hamzah, a former Bersatu deputy president, was sacked from the party in February following a fallout with party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He subsequently stepped down as the opposition leader in April.

He later launched the Reset political movement and subsequently unveiled his new party, Parti Wawasan Negara, where he serves as its president.

Earlier, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said the party supported retaining Hamzah as the opposition leader and announced that PAS would sever ties with Bersatu.

Leaders from PAS and Bersatu have since engaged in a public war of words over Hamzah's reappointment.

Based on the latest seating arrangement for MPs in the Dewan Rakyat, Hamzah continues to occupy a front-row seat in the opposition bloc alongside Ahmad Samsuri.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin, who is also the Pagoh MP, has been moved to Block E from his previous seat next to Hamzah.

The Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament began on Monday and will run until July 16.

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