Bukan PAS atau PH, Umno ada kekuatan sendiri atau tidak?

Umno seeks to know if it possesses strength on its own or relies on others for support. The party is open to collaboration with PAS or staying with Pakatan Harapan, but it has the right to leave the unity government if needed. However, the crucial question is whether Umno is strong enough to make a choice or is actually looking for someone to help it survive.

The party should approach PAS with a stronger stance, as loud claims do not necessarily reflect political power. Umno needs assistance, and its three-cornered contest fails to show it as easily as some leaders claim. This is why PAS becomes attractive, not just because the two parties find a powerful formula for Malaysia, but because the vote count appears better when mixed.

Umno's addition to PAS looks impressive on paper, but the problem is that if Umno depends more on PAS than PAS depends on Umno, who will ultimately determine the terms? Those promoting cooperation need to think about this. PAS already has a solid footprint in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis. What remains for Umno if these four states are considered PAS territories?

Johor, Malacca, and Negeri Sembilan? How about Selangor, Perak, and Pahang? If Umno needs to be divided further, its room for claiming to be the main player in the partnership becomes smaller. Politics is not just about vote splitting and counting who can get more seats. After winning, the question of who is the boss arises. Umno may enter with a long political history as a party that once ruled the federal government.

PAS will enter with the strength of roots and states that now form its base. So, don't assume that marriage automatically makes both parties equal partners. If one is stronger, the other will eventually need to follow. This is the challenge for Umno. The party wants to look big, but simultaneously appear to need a partner to avoid getting buried in the competition.

It can sit side by side with PAS, but if it finds itself at the table without a sufficiently strong chair, don't be surprised if others determine the menu. The fundamental and directional question remains. PAS has its own principles on constitution, governance, and various national issues. Umno has always wanted to portray the broader Malay vision with a history of working with various component parties.

When they are together, who will follow whom? This is not a small question. It will determine not only the seat distribution but also the image of the government they want to form. Finally, the most pressing question is: if Umno cooperates, who will be the prime minister? Umno wants this position? PAS certainly has its own estimate.

If Umno enters the cooperation in a weaker state, for what reason should PAS relinquish its top position to it? This is more important than all the talk about wanting to be with someone and leaving someone. Umno must ask itself what it really brings to the negotiation table: seats, votes, states, leadership, or just the name's grandeur from the past?

The issue of Negeri Sembilan also shows how complex Umno's situation becomes when regional splits can have far-reaching effects on its image and political relations. The larger the number of splits, the more Umno must explain to the people what its true principles are. Therefore, for me, before speaking grandly about PAS or PH, the most basic measure is Umno's strength.

If a party is truly strong, it does not need to worry too much about who it wants to be with. Others will soon knock on the door. If every election needs to find a formula where whoever has the most votes can join, who has the largest base can share, and who can help avoid three-cornered defeat, that is not a sign of a powerful and firm position.

It is a sign of existing problems. Umno can choose any political partner. That is their matter. But being married to PAS does not magically make Umno stronger. Leaving the unity government also does not automatically restore its glory days. Ultimately, politics is simple. If you are strong, show it. If you still need others to appear strong, don't be angry when people question who really leads whom.