Umno’s call for election in PAS-led state stems from distrust

Umno has proposed early elections in PAS-led Terengganu in an attempt to prove the Islamic party's commitment to Malay unity, according to an analyst. This proposal may be rooted in Umno's distrust of PAS, as Mazlan Ali, a professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, explained. The distrust stems from remarks made by PAS leaders at their recent muktamar regarding the prime minister's position and seats up for contestation.

PAS intends to defend seats they won in earlier elections based on the incumbency formula and declare themselves as candidates for prime minister. This assertion could have offended Umno, as Mazlan pointed out. Mohamad Hasan, Umno's deputy president, suggested the election proposal on Saturday, adding that if both parties agree on a seat negotiation formula in Terengganu, the same approach could be applied to the next general election.

However, PAS's Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man dismissed the idea on Sunday. Mazlan felt that Umno was demanding "too much" from PAS by suggesting an election to test their sincerity. The analyst believed that the two parties have only established an "understanding" and not a formal partnership. Lau Zhe Wei, from International Islamic University Malaysia, stated that Umno is aware they would not gain seats under the incumbency formula in a PAS-Umno partnership, particularly in Terengganu where PAS and Perikatan Nasional hold all 32 state and eight parliamentary seats.

Nevertheless, Lau cautioned that Mohamad's suggestion might backfire, as it would raise questions about Umno's commitment to Malay unity in Melaka, a state where Barisan Nasional already plans to defend the 21 seats they won in the 2021 state elections. PAS did not win any seats in the 28-seat Melaka assembly. Lau noted that if Umno were to apply the same principle in Melaka, PAS should receive seats in some areas.

He added that giving up seats is a crucial factor in how Umno and PAS negotiate for the Melaka polls.