Umno Kedah terancam mahu runding hanya dengan PAS, kata penganalisis

Analysts warn Umno Kedah faces an uphill battle if it insists on only fielding PAS candidates, according to a political commentator. Hasrat Umno Kedah wants to only debate with PAS due to their failure to win any DUN seats in the previous PRN election, said Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Umno's chance of reclaiming the Bakar Arang and Sidam seats currently held by PKR, and Kota Darul Aman held by DAP, would only be possible if they follow the principle of awarding seats to the candidate with the strongest support.

However, this move could reduce Umno's Wawasan party to a secondary status, as it already has the majority of Kedah's seats from the previous Bersatu victories. Frustrated by the prospect of debating with PAS, Umno needs to reflect on its position in Kedah and nationally, realizing it is no longer the preferred choice of Malay voters.

They should not demand to dictate terms to other alliances, the analyst told FMT. Syaza Shukri from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia agreed that both Umno and Wawasan would be competing for the same Malay voter base. Wawasan is likely to target Kedah seats and demand a prominent role within PN, while Umno will need to convince PAS to cede control of the seats, rather than prioritizing Wawasan.

This development could potentially create a new rift within PN, given the ongoing disputes over seat allocations and leadership selection. The Muafakat Nasional coalition split in the past due to PAS's preference for Bersatu over Umno. So, if PAS chose Umno without considering Wawasan, could Wawasan accept it? This dilemma highlights that the internal dynamics of PN are far from settled.

Recently, Umno Kedah's Public Relations chief Shaiful Hazizy Abidin reportedly labeled PAS as a party for political dialogue in the upcoming PRU16 and rejected the idea of a party within PN. He used the term 'PAS for political dialogue' instead of naming any specific party, reflecting the ongoing debates within the coalition.