‘The bridge has been burned’: UMNO-PH ties face growing strain as attacks turn increasingly open
THE cracks between Umno and Pakatan Harapan are getting harder to ignore. At the Umno general assembly, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim faced open criticism from his own coalition partner, while Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi al...
The political ties between Umno and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are facing increasing strain, with open attacks and disagreements surfacing more frequently. At the Umno general assembly, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim faced criticism from within his own coalition, while Umno's president, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, pushed for an earlier general election.
Political analyst Dr Azmi Hassan noted that tensions are not surprising, citing previous instances of Umno leaders criticizing Anwar during PH events. However, he believes the main issue lies in the thinness of the cooperation between BN and PH, likening their relationship to a bridge that has been burned.
Professor James Chin of Tasmania University describes the situation as stark, stating that Umno is no longer just disagreeing with the government but is actively undermining it, as some of its leaders openly oppose the current administration. This development began after the Negeri Sembilan by-election, when PH suffered a significant defeat against Umno. Now, with Zahid calling for an early election, Chin speculates that Umno may be considering moving beyond the current coalition.
One intriguing possibility is a potential alliance between Umno and PAS, which could significantly impact the electoral landscape, particularly among Malay voters. However, forming such an alliance would be a challenging task, as pointed out by Chin. He suggests that if Umno-PAS could unite, it would spell the end of Anwar's political career.
Even if Umno were to leave the government, Anwar would still have a relatively stable position, with around 115 to 120 MPs supporting him, though his majority would be dangerously thin.
For now, Anwar faces a difficult decision: compel Zahid and Umno to commit more clearly to PH, or allow Umno to remain in government while some of its leaders work against the coalition from within. Despite the political sparring, Anwar surprisingly refrained from directly responding to Zahid's criticism, instead focusing on his overseas diplomatic engagement during the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi.
The strained relationship between the two sides makes the partnership appear more unstable, with implications for Malaysian politics.
Written by urgent.news from The Vibes's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
