Umno Leaders Differ On Approach Towards Allies For Malacca

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Umno's top brass are adopting different approaches towards handling alliances for the Malacca state election.
On Oct 28, Umno's supreme council resolved that three people will decide all decisions regarding the Malacca election - party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Mohamad Hasan and vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Additionally, Mohamad will lead Umno's campaign for Malacca. Zahid is currently in Germany for medical treatment and will be out of action throughout the campaign.
The supreme council also resolved that the party will work with PAS during the Malacca election to honour the Muafakat Nasional pact between the two parties.
However, PAS appears more inclined towards achieving a tripartite arrangement involving both Umno and Bersatu.
Some party leaders are also expressing doubts about the viability of the Perikatan Nasional leadership's decision to use a common logo.
Ismail Sabri, who as prime minister relies on the support of Bersatu and PAS MPs, has publicly stated that he has a mandate from the Umno supreme council to negotiate with other parties that are allies at the federal government level.
"If there are multi-cornered contests in Peninsular Malaysia, our opponents will benefit. They are just waiting for conflict among government parties," he said.
As of Saturday (Oct 30), Ismail Sabri said negotiations were still ongoing.
Not a fair formula
The status of ongoing negotiations can be gleaned from Selangor BN information chief Isham Jalil's speech at a Bukit Antarabangsa Umno meeting yesterday.
According to Isham, PN's "formula" is to claim rights to field candidates in 14 state seats while the remaining 14 go to BN.
"I told them that if I look into this in detail, this is wrong because the 14 seats they are claiming are Malay areas. In Malacca, there are only 19 Malay seats. If they take 14, there's only five left for Umno.
"In Malacca, we won 13 seats last time. So (the proposal) does not make sense. This is not a fair formula," he said.
However, Isham said, Umno was a bit more open to PAS, but the latter cannot impose conditions.
"They cannot set a condition that working with PAS meant bringing Bersatu along. We cannot accept that, ladies and gentlemen. We have been betrayed by Bersatu many times," he added.

Selangor BN information chief Isham Jalil
Isham's analysis is that Bersatu has no grassroots support in Malacca, relying on supporters from Pakatan Harapan to tide them through during the 2018 general election in Paya Rumput and Telok Mas.
Therefore, he said, Bersatu was now attempting to hope for an alliance so that its candidates would secure votes from Umno and PAS supporters.
As for Mohamad, he has made it clear that his focus was only securing an alliance with PAS.
Ball in PAS' court
In an interview with Utusan Malaysia published today, Mohamad said Umno's annual delegates assembly had in March resolved that the party cannot work with DAP, PKR and Bersatu.
He added that there was also another resolution that Umno and PAS must work together as part of Muafakat.
However, Mohamad said, the ball was now in PAS' court.
"It depends on PAS whether to choose BN or PN. We can't have a foot in one door and the other foot in another door.
"PAS has to choose. If they want to be with Muafakat, our door has always been open," Mohamad said.
Mohamad is currently leading the Umno delegation in the Muafakat secretariat, which meets occasionally. - Mkini

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