Penyatuan ummah perlu diperluas luar PAS, Umno, kata Tuan Ibrahim

Analysts suggest PAS' insistence on retaining all their seats and having a possible candidate for prime minister could breed distrust within Umno. PETALING JAYA: The idea behind Umno suggesting a PRN in Terengganu might stem from a lack of trust in PAS, according to Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Mazlan cites potential trust issues arising from statements made by several PAS leaders during their recent party meeting, where they expressed a desire to retain their won seats using a formula for candidates, while also aiming to lead the federal government and revealing they already have a prime ministerial candidate.

Mazlan believes these assertions may indicate Umno's lack of complete trust in PAS. He spoke to FMT, referring to Umno Deputy President Mohamad Hasan, who proposed the idea on Saturday, suggesting that if both parties can agree on a formula for distributing seats in Terengganu, a similar approach could be used in the upcoming general election.

However, PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man rejected the proposal on Sunday. Mazlan argues that Umno is asking too much from PAS when proposing a general election, as their relationship is currently only considered a 'understanding' rather than a formal partnership. Lau Zhe Wei from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia also notes that Umno realizes PAS likely won't win any seats if the formula for candidates is used in any future election, particularly in Terengganu.

PAS and its allies in Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Bersatu currently control all 32 DUN seats and eight parliamentary seats in the state. However, Lau warns that Mohamad's proposal could backfire due to potential concerns about Umno's commitment to the Malay unity agenda in Malakka. Previously, the Barisan Nasional had stated its intention to retain 21 seats won in the Melaka PRN 2021, while PAS failed to win any seats out of the total 28 DUN seats.

According to Lau, if the same principle is applied in Malakka, Umno should also consider giving PAS a chance in several seats. He believes that a willingness to relinquish seats is one of the crucial factors that will determine how Umno and PAS negotiate ahead of the PRN Melaka.