Kami lemah tapi bukan terancam, kata pemimpin Umno Kedah

Umno Kedah acknowledges its current weakened and un-dominant position in the state, but rejects claims that it only seeks to compete with PAS due to fear. Chief Spokesman Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin stated that the party's situation has not yet reached a level of being threatened or facing extinction, with several state polls indicating efforts to revive are starting to bear fruit.

"Threatened? Umno Kedah is indeed weak, but it has not reached a stage of being threatened or extinct," he said in a statement. He discussed a report citing an analyst's opinion that Umno Kedah desires competition only with PAS due to perceived fear following their inability to win any Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) seats in the recent PRN election.

Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid from Universiti Sains Malaysia added that Umno can only hope to reclaim the Bakar Arang and Sidam DUN seats, currently held by PKR and DAP, if they follow the principle of awarding seats to the incumbents. At the Umno General Assembly last weekend, Shaiful expressed Umno Kedah's willingness to start political cooperation talks with PAS ahead of PRU16, but not with Perikatan Nasional (PN), referring to the emergence of a "third force" party in the coalition.

He did not name the party. Shaiful emphasized that Umno Kedah acknowledges its weakened state and needs to adapt to the new political landscape, comparing its current situation to a migrant seeking to adapt and find a new foothold, but still hoping to reach an agreement suitable for re-engaging with PAS. He believes any dialogue between PAS and Barisan Nasional (BN) after this should enter a new phase with fresher terms, sincerity, and focus to prevent the long-standing dispute from dominating their relationship.

However, Shaiful stressed that Umno Kedah only wishes to engage with a party that has proven history and strength, not one reliant on the role of a mediator or political broker. "True reconciliation of the ummah can only happen when Umno and PAS reach an agreement without being influenced by others," he concluded.