Tok Mat to PAS: Prove your sincerity, hold election in Terengganu

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan suggested PAS-led Terengganu hold an election to demonstrate their sincerity in promoting Malay unity. The Umno leader, known as Tok Mat, proposed this idea following Umno's poor performance in the 2023 Terengganu state election, where they failed to secure any of the 27 contested seats. Additionally, Umno did not win a single seat in the 2022 parliamentary general election. Terengganu has eight parliamentary seats.

Tok Mat proposed that if Umno and PAS could agree on a formula for seat negotiations in Terengganu, a similar approach might be adopted for the next general election. He emphasized that Umno cannot apply a "one size fits all" approach to legislative elections, as the political landscape varies in each state. Examples include Johor and Selangor, where each state had its own unique narrative.

In Negeri Sembilan, Umno negotiated based on what would benefit the party in that specific state after losing seven Malay-majority seats in the 2023 state elections.

Umno and PAS previously formed an electoral pact for the Negeri Sembilan state polls, winning 26 of the 36 seats together. However, tensions arose when it appeared that the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliances in the upcoming Melaka polls were on an impasse. BN wanted to contest the 21 seats they won in 2021, while PN insisted negotiations were still ongoing. Melaka has 28 state seats. In the 2021 general election, the People's Justice Party (PH) secured five seats, while PN won two.