Pendekatan Umno sering tukar haluan jejas kepercayaan rakan, kata penganalisis

An analyst commented that Umno's willingness to cooperate with various political campaigns could erode trust among their allies and jeopardize the future of political partnerships. Mazlan Ali, from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, stated that while such flexibility might benefit electoral prospects, the frequent change of loyalties could undermine their relationship with allies and make them untrustworthy to voters.

He suggested that Umno risks being seen as unreliable by potential allies and difficult to believe by voters. The analyst also discussed Ab Rauf Yusoh, the Pengerusi Barisan Nasional for Melaka, who said that the alliance remains open for discussion with all parties ahead of the next PRN, but no specific electoral coalition has been confirmed at this time.

At the national level, the BN remained part of a unity government with Pakatan Harapan (PH), with BN Chairman Zahid Hamidi stating in July that the partnership still hopes to continue in Putrajaya until the end of the parliamentary term. However, the BN also formed a coalition with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the September 1, 2022, state election in Negeri Sembilan, where both alliances won 25 out of 36 contested seats.

BN won 18 seats, while PN won seven, including three seats won by Wawasan leader Hamzah Zainudin. Despite this, Hamzah did not attend the recent Umno General Assembly meeting, even though several right-wing PAS leaders were present. This situation has led analysts to predict that Umno may be exploring direct cooperation with PAS, which could potentially oust Wawasan.

Mazlan noted that such arrangements could create dissatisfaction among PH and have far-reaching consequences, potentially prompting calls for BN to withdraw from government administration. He expects Umno and BN to continue working with various parties to rebuild their strength and regain political influence. Syaza Shukri, from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia, said that the uncertainty of political cooperation should not be attributed solely to Umno, as PAS also maintains an open option.

She believes that the reluctance of both parties to make a firm commitment indicates a lack of trust in each other. Ultimately, it is all about the future of politics, she added, and Umno prefers to operate without allies because electoral partnerships are a way to secure enough support to form a government. She warned that joining a single coalition does not guarantee Umno's continued commitment if they feel their position is threatened or a better opportunity arises.

Thus, she does not see any of these alliances as more than a political strategy for forming a government. However, the situation could change at any time, just as it has in the past. She said there is no shared ideological basis for long-term cooperation, and while BN and PN could potentially find a stronger basis for cooperation through the idea of national unity, the differences in leadership aspirations could become an obstacle to long-lasting collaboration.