Fokus 126 kerusi mungkin isyarat PN ‘jalan sendiri’, kata penganalisis

Analysts suggest that the Fokus 126-seat coalition between PAS and PN may be preparing to navigate the upcoming 2016 General Election independently, potentially complicating any cooperation between Umno and PAS. Mazlan Ali, from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, questioned whether Umno and PAS could actually collaborate in the upcoming general election, based on Annuar Musa's claims of preparation.

He pointed out that Umno's desire for strategic collaboration only with PAS, not within PN, adds complexity to the situation. This stance aligns with PAS's previous aspiration to retain all 126 seats they won in the 2015 General Election, while strengthening their position as the main party in the national government. In the 2015 election, PN secured 74 parliamentary seats, while PAS dominated 43 of them.

Annuar, who is also a member of PAS's Central Secretariat, stated that PAS may not necessarily win all 126 seats, as some could be won by coalition partners. However, Tawfik Yaakub from Universiti Malaya argued that winning the full 126 seats is unlikely if PN faces more than three-way contests. He also warned that separate preparations could jeopardize the political understanding built with Umno through various state elections.

Tawfik believes that political cooperation between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN, whether through understanding or another form, could be crucial for any bloc to achieve a majority of 112 seats in the Dewan Rakyat. He emphasized that forming a dominant political government solely through political blocs in today's dynamic Malaysian politics is merely a dream.

Umno previously signaled that political discussions ahead of the 2016 General Election might be conducted directly with PAS rather than PN as a whole.