Umno ulama council wants ties with PAS formalised

The Ulama Council of Umno has called for formalising ties between Umno and PAS, emphasising its importance in addressing emerging challenges and conflicts. Dusuki Ahmad, the council's chairman, stated that existing cooperation has only been limited to negotiations and consensus. He expressed hope for a formal cooperation arrangement that would benefit the wider Muslim community, insisting that the unity of Muslims is crucial in today's world.

The Ulama Council of Umno and PAS had a previous alliance within the now-defunct Muafakat Nasional party during the 2019 federal government under Pakatan Harapan. However, this alliance ended when PAS formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) with Bersatu the following year, and Umno joined Pakatan Harapan in forming the unity government after the 2022 general election.

Recently, Umno and the other parties in BN have shown interest in closer cooperation with the PAS-led PN, following an informal electoral alliance that gave them a two-thirds majority in the Negeri Sembilan state assembly. BN secured 18 seats in this election, PN took seven, and PAS supported BN candidates in the Johor election, resulting in BN winning 48 out of 56 state seats.