Masa depan Umno bergantung kerjasama PAS, kata penganalisis

The fate of the Malaysian opposition party, Umno, appears to hinge on cooperation with the Islamist party PAS, according to political analyst James Chin. The conclusion of the PRN Melaka election, which showed no resurgence of Umno, suggests that Umno's future political success relies heavily on its partnership with PAS, Chin told FMT.

The joint victory of the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) parties, which were led by Umno and PAS, demonstrated their strength when united in elections. Chin noted that the Malay tsunami, resulting from the collaboration, is increasingly clear in the PRN results from Johor, Negeri Sembilan, and now Melaka. As long as they can maintain this cooperation, Umno and PAS are likely to be in a strong position to win the PRU16 election, which is expected to take place soon.

The PRU16 is anticipated to occur within the next year. In the PRN Melaka, the BN-PN coalition won 24 out of 28 seats, securing a large majority in the Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN). This victory was achieved by BN in 23 seats, while PAS, Wawasan and Gerakan from PN fielded candidates for the remaining five seats, agreeing not to contest in the same seats.

Following the PRN Melaka, the BN-PN alliance could strengthen Umno President Zahid Hamidi's political aspirations, who is aiming to become the next Prime Minister after PRU16. Azmi Hassan, a political analyst from the Nusantara Academy, stated that the Melaka victory will give Zahid, who is also the deputy Prime Minister, greater confidence to separate Umno from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Although coalition talks for the next general election may be challenging, both Umno and PAS realize the importance of their shared position, the analyst added. While PAS currently holds more parliamentary seats than Umno and is more dominant in states like Perak and Pahang, both parties acknowledge their interdependence.