UMNO and PAS appear to be edging towards closer political engagement after UMNO invited the Islamist party’s top leadership to its 2026 general assembly, following their joint success in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
The invitation to PAS for the September 9 assembly comes after the party extended a similar invitation to senior UMNO leaders for its 72nd muktamar in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, next week.
UMNO supreme council member Datuk Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii said the reciprocal invitations reflected the spirit of returning a gesture of goodwill.
“We received an invitation from PAS for its muktamar. So, we are also inviting the party’s top leadership.
“Especially since we won together in Negeri Sembilan. Coincidentally, UMNO is holding its assembly soon. So, there is a reason for us to invite them,” he told BH.
The move is significant as UMNO and PAS have historically been political rivals, with both parties competing for support among Malay and Muslim voters.
Their cooperation in Negeri Sembilan, however, has created a new point of political convergence, with the two parties now publicly acknowledging their shared electoral success.
Mohd Razlan said several senior UMNO leaders, including Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, would attend the PAS muktamar.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had earlier said the party invited UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and three other senior party leaders to attend its muktamar on Friday and Saturday next week.
UMNO’s September assembly is also expected to serve as a platform for the party to celebrate what Mohd Razlan described as a double victory following its performances in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
He said the focus would be on celebrating the party’s resurgence rather than adopting the confrontational rhetoric seen at other political party gatherings.
“PAU 2026 will be a platform to celebrate our sweet achievements because we appear to be on the right track. The people are returning to UMNO, as shown through the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
“I believe, and I have heard from our fellow speakers, that we will celebrate the victory and will not be drawn into the politics of hatred seen during the DAP or PKR assemblies,” he said.
The exchange of invitations does not amount to a formal political pact, but it highlights a potentially important shift in relations between UMNO and PAS.
With the next general election looming on the political horizon, closer cooperation between the two parties could have wider implications for the contest for Malay-majority seats and the balance of power in Malaysian politics. - August 31, 2026
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