Hubungan lama Azmin-Amirudin boleh mudahkan kerjasama PH-Bersatu Selangor

Former Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali and Sultan of Selangor Amirudin Shari's long-standing relationship could facilitate cooperation between the Selangor state government and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) party, according to political analyst Mazlan Ali. The strong bond between the two leaders since they served together in the People's Justice Party (PKR) may help kickstart talks on potential cooperation agreements that may involve support from PKR opposition members for the state government's administration.

"Since we knew Azmin and Amirudin were quite close, I believe the good relationship between Azmin and Amirudin will bring about a new phase of cooperation in Selangor politics," he told FMT. The talks between Selangor's government and representatives of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) party regarding the terms of the cooperation agreement are ongoing, and the PH deputy president expects approval to be obtained before the announcement of the Selangor state budget in 2027.

PH deputy president Amirudin Shari, who also chairs PH's electoral strategy, confirmed there are no unusual demands being raised during the talks. However, Permatang Noh MP, who claimed he was not informed about the ongoing talks, said the government has already reached an agreement on the terms of the cooperation agreement. PH currently holds 32 out of 56 DUN Selangor seats, while the Barisan Nasional (BN) party holds two.

Both parties formed the state government after the 2023 PRN. Meanwhile, opposition members control 21 seats, with one independent MP supporting the state government. Notably, Azmin and Amirudin were once close allies within PKR, with Amirudin serving as an exco member when Azmin became Selangor's Menteri Besar. Amirudin later replaced Azmin as Menteri Besar in June 2018 after the latter was appointed as the Economic Affairs Minister in the federal cabinet.

Azmin had previously described Amirudin as his protégé and suggested that the latter's name should be considered for a potential successor. Their political relationship changed after Azmin was expelled from PKR and joined the Bersatu party in 2020 during the Sheraton Movement, which led to the PH 1.0 administration becoming stagnant.

Their personal friendship, however, was still seen as strong when Azmin called Amirudin 'deputy' during a Selangor DUN session in August. According to Mazlan, the status of Bersatu in Selangor makes the cooperation significant, especially if the party's representatives support the state government in budgetary matters. He also viewed the move as a PH strategy given their strained relationship with PAS.

It could potentially reshape the political landscape in Selangor when facing the possibility of BN-PAS cooperation in the upcoming election, according to Mazlan. Syaza Shukri, a political analyst from Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM), pointed out that cooperation between PH and Bersatu in Selangor is more promising compared to Melaka, considering the relationship between leaders and the current status of Bersatu in the state.

She believes the initial cooperation could resemble Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) or Capability and Training Agreements (CSA), which could help ensure the stability of the Amirudin administration. She added that the development could also serve as the first step for PH and Bersatu to face the possible challenge from BN-PAS in the future election, which could potentially lead to broader cooperation at the national level.

"If there are no major obstacles, this cooperation could develop into political cooperation leading up to the next election," she said.