PETALING JAYA: A political analyst speculates that Umno is likely to opt for cooperation with PAS in facing the next general election instead of being part of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
“Umno knows it stands to benefit more from Muafakat Nasional because it empowers Malay politics,” said Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya.
He told FMT he believed the party was eyeing a majority in Parliament to take back the power it lost in the last general election.
If Azman is right, PPBM, which currently behaves as PN’s kingpin, will see itself left out in the cold.
Several Umno leaders have lately been calling for a snap election with some saying it would resolve the instability caused by PN’s tenuous hold on power.
Awang said there was a possibility that some PPBM members would defect to Umno just before the 15th general election.
He also speculated that Umno, if it succeeded in forming the next government, would revise party rules to deter MPs in its ranks from defecting to another party.
Observers expect heavy bargaining among parties in PN when it is time to decide which party should contest for which seat.
Syed Arabi Idid, an academic at International Islamic University Malaysia, said it would be best for the coalition to start discussions on a common logo.
He told FMT he believed a decision on a logo would smooth out discussions on the allocation of seats.
In the campaign for the last general election, Pakatan Harapan parties used the PKR logo in the belief that it was more recognisable than the symbols of the other parties in the coalition.
The most recognisable of the symbols associated with parties in PN are those of Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS.
BN now has 42 seats in Parliament, with 39 belonging to Umno. PAS has 18.
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