Zahid says door for Umno-PAS cooperation ‘wide open’, eyes million-strong unity rally ahead of GE16

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (second row, fourth left) and other party leaders give a ‘thumbs-up’ at the close of the Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur on September 12, 2026, where he said the door for cooperation between Umno and PAS is now ‘wide open’ ahead of GE16. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

By Dhesegaan Bala Krishnan

First Published: Saturday, 12 Sep 2026 7:58 PM MYT

Last Modified: Saturday, 12 Sep 2026 7:59 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — The presence of PAS leaders at this year’s Umno general assembly signals the potential for Malaysia’s two largest Malay-based parties to cooperate again, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

The Umno president said the gesture indicated that the room for friendship between both parties was now wide open and must be further strengthened before the GE16.

“God willing, we will be open for a tahaluf siyasi with them,” Zahid said in his winding-up speech.

The Arabic term means political understanding.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan led a delegation of his party leaders to the Umno assembly opening yesterday.

Zahid also instructed Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to work with his counterparts in PAS and gather over a million Malay-Muslims for a mammoth rally he dubbed “Himpunan Perpaduan Ummah”.

“Akmal, I am giving you the mandate. Work with them well. Mobilise roadshows in every state in the days leading to the mammoth rally,” he said.

After the 2018 general election, Umno and PAS entered a short-lived political cooperation called Muafakat Nasional and were part of the federal government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, followed by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob between March 2020 and October 2022.

The Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition later switched support to Pakatan Harapan and formed the unity government after the 15th general election in November 2022.

Both Umno and PAS currently govern Negeri Sembilan together, after all parties fell short of securing a simple majority in the recent state polls — a power-sharing arrangement that Zahid’s remarks today suggests he wants to see replicated on a bigger scale ahead of GE16.