Azmin-Amirudin ties may ease Selangor govt’s deal with Bersatu, say analysts

The longstanding ties between Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali and Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari could help smooth negotiations on a cooperation deal between the state government and Bersatu assemblymen, says an analyst.

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the close ties between the two leaders, dating back to their time in PKR, could help smooth negotiations on a cooperation agreement that is expected to involve opposition assemblymen supporting the state administration.

“We knew that Azmin and Amirudin were once very close. In my view, their good relationship will help make this cooperation work and mark a new phase in Selangor politics,” he told FMT.

Mazlan said Bersatu’s position in Selangor made the cooperation significant, particularly if the party’s assemblymen supported the state government on budget matters.

He also viewed the move as a strategy by Bersatu amid its increasingly strained relations with PAS.

“It has the potential to change the political calculations in Selangor ahead of a possible BN-PAS cooperation in the next election,” he said.

He was commenting on negotiations between the Selangor government and Bersatu assemblymen over a cooperation agreement that is expected to involve opposition representatives supporting the state administration.

On Thursday, Amirudin said Bersatu assemblymen would be signing a pact with the state government before the state budget is tabled, with terms currently being finalised.

The announcement came amid heightening tensions between PH and Barisan Nasional, a key partner in both the federal and Selangor governments.

Bersatu has similarly fallen out with PAS, which currently chairs the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

The 56-member Selangor assembly comprises 32 representatives from Pakatan Harapan, followed by Bersatu (11), PAS (10), Barisan Nasional (2), and one independent.

Azmin and Amirudin were once close allies in PKR, with Amirudin serving as a state executive councillor when Azmin was Selangor menteri besar.

Amirudin succeeded Azmin as menteri besar in June 2018 after Azmin was appointed economic affairs minister in the federal Cabinet.

Azmin once described Amirudin as his protégé and claimed that he had proposed Amirudin’s name for consideration as his successor.

Their political relationship later changed following the Sheraton Move, which brought down the first PH government in February 2020. Azmin, who led several PKR MPs out of the PH government, was later sacked by the party and joined Bersatu.

Their rivalry became more pronounced when Amirudin defeated Azmin in the Gombak parliamentary seat at the 15th general election in November 2022.

The personal relationship between the two appeared to have improved, with Azmin addressing Amirudin as “adinda” during a debate in the Selangor state assembly in August.

Meanwhile, Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said the prospects for a PH-Bersatu tie-up were more likely in Selangor than in Melaka, given the relationships between the leaders and Bersatu’s position in the state.

She said the cooperation initially appeared more like a memorandum of understanding (MoU) or a confidence-and-supply agreement (CSA), which could help ensure stability in Amirudin’s administration.

Syaza said the development could also be an initial step towards PH and Bersatu working together to face a possible challenge from BN and PAS, before the arrangement potentially expanded into broader cooperation at the national level.

“If there are no major obstacles, this cooperation could develop into political cooperation ahead of the general election,” she said.

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.