Umno, PAS still not on the same page on ummah unity, say analysts

PAS and Umno still appear to be on different wavelengths about the form of cooperation required to “unite the ummah”, particularly whether it should involve other parties in Perikatan Nasional (PN), say analysts.

Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said Umno appeared to prefer dealing directly with PAS, as it did under its now-defunct Muafakat Nasional pact.

He said the ummah unity endeavour was likely to face some hiccups if it involved PAS’s PN allies, particularly opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin’s Wawasan, which also vies for Malay-majority seats.

The inclusion of more parties would mean more complicated seat negotiations, especially ahead of the 16th general election, he added.

“To Umno, unity of the ummah specifically means uniting with PAS only.

“That’s why they only want to deal with PAS, so that it’s PAS’s responsibility in PN to divide seats among its coalition partners,” he told FMT.

Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said PAS was trying to account for its PN partners, including new additions like Wawasan and Pejuang.

However, he said the pact faced a conundrum. He said the push for ummah unity should not be focused on PAS and Umno alone, as it could cause the perception that other parties in PN are only supporting acts and can be sidelined when major negotiations take place.

“Any formula for political cooperation needs to be inclusive, without sacrificing the interests of partners,” he said.

He also said that expanding the cooperation to more parties would lead to tougher negotiations in terms of key leadership roles, seat allocations and the direction of Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN’s relationship.

A wider cooperation model could help PAS build a more inclusive Malay unity image, but lead to conflicting interests between parties, he said.

Earlier this week, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said PAS and Umno needed to expand their ummah unity agenda to more parties instead of limiting it to themselves.

Tuan Ibrahim argued that the shifting political landscape and entry of young voters demanded a more inclusive political framework.

BN and PAS-led PN formed an alliance in the Negeri Sembilan election which secured a two-thirds majority in the state assembly.

The rekindling of ties between Umno and PAS saw leaders of both parties attending each other’s annual general assemblies earlier this month.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan however said the party must spearhead any cooperation to forge Malay-Muslim political unity, and that Umno had been deceived by others in past efforts.

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