Umno-PAS pact faces tougher test beyond Melaka
UMNO and PAS may be open to working together in the coming elections, but agreeing on who contests where is another matter. Both parties have reasons to consider an electoral pact. Avoiding contests against each other could reduce vote-splitting, whi...
The Umno-PAS cooperation agreement presents a more substantial challenge than initial cooperation. While both parties recognize the benefits of avoiding vote splitting and potential gains in contested states, agreeing on seat allocation remains an unresolved issue. PAS assistant secretary-general Syahir Sulaiman has warned against assuming that an understanding in Melaka would automatically extend to the four states collectively known as SG4 (Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis).
Formal negotiations on seat distribution for the 16th general election (GE16) and SG4 have not yet commenced, despite early indications of possible cooperation. UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan urged PAS to demonstrate its commitment to cooperation, suggesting a test by allowing PAS to contest one of the SG4 states after Melaka.
However, he cautioned against Umno becoming overly dependent on other parties, emphasizing that any alliance must serve its long-term interests. PAS, on the other hand, must weigh the benefits of an expanded alliance against the possibility of ceding constituencies it could otherwise contest. The negotiations may reveal significant differences in how each party perceives a fair arrangement, with Umno potentially seeking sufficient room to rebuild its presence while PAS would require a seat distribution reflective of its ground strength.
The central difficulty lies in reaching an agreement that each side finds worthwhile without demanding concessions it is unlikely to accept, particularly in SG4 where their electoral strengths are disparate.
Written by urgent.news from The Vibes's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
