Pemimpin Umno, PAS bidas Ramasamy cuba ‘tabur racun halus’

Urimai chairman P Ramasamy has cautioned Umno to carefully consider the potential consequences of forming an alliance with PAS in the upcoming Malaysian general election in 2016. While a partnership with PAS could provide Umno with short-term electoral benefits and help prevent the split of Malay votes, Ramasamy warned that PAS could potentially overtake and marginalise Umno in the Malay heartlands in the long run.

Ramasamy pointed out that PAS has been willing to emphasise Malay-Muslim unity and nationalism in cooperation with Umno, particularly in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections, as it believed these areas were not receptive to PAS on its own. However, he cautioned that if PAS determines that this nationalism is no longer advantageous, it could revert to its Islamic political identity, potentially putting Umno at a disadvantage in the Malay heartlands.

While the common enemy of Pakatan Harapan acted as a unifying factor for Umno and PAS, Ramasamy suggested that success in the 2016 election could intensify the rivalry between the two largest Malay-Muslim parties. He stressed that PAS is unlikely to allow Umno to retain its stronghold in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Perlis, as these states represent the historical achievements of PAS's struggle against Umno's decline. Giving away these seats would be perceived as returning territory that PAS had fought hard to gain.

Ramasamy emphasized that the real question lies in how far each party is willing to compromise without losing the political ground that they have spent decades trying to control. He highlighted that the upcoming Melaka polls could provide insights into whether the Umno-PAS alliance in Negeri Sembilan is merely a tactical move or the beginning of something more substantial.

Notably, Umno and PAS were once allies under the Muafakat Nasional pact, which was formalised in 2019 but collapsed after PAS joined Bersatu to form Perikatan Nasional. During the 2022 general election, the BN-led coalition failed to win any parliamentary seats in PAS-dominated states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu. Similarly, the Umno-led coalition suffered a similar fate in the six-state elections held in August 2023, losing control of the Kedah and Terengganu state assemblies.