The formal announcement regarding a new opposition bloc was delayed due to several unexpected snags, including a power outage at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

After power was restored some 30 minutes later, the press conference was moved to a nearby hotel because the headquarters could not accommodate the large number of people present.

Spotted at the venue was Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan) president and former Umno minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

It is believed that PAS will collaborate with Ikatan to form what is touted as the third force.

Ikatan was formed in 2012, but was only registered in 2015 after Kadir, a former Umno supreme council member, dragged the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to court.

The party aims to champion the ideas of the nation's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The new political alignment comes in the wake of PAS being left out of the re-branded opposition coalition known as Pakatan Harapan.

Harapan consists of PKR, DAP and PAS splinter, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).