ANY move towards political cooperation between UMNO and PAS, including negotiations over parliamentary seats, should be left to the parties’ presidents and not discussed prematurely among other leaders, said UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
He said any potential political pact must be negotiated carefully and comprehensively at the highest level to prevent disagreements over seat allocations from complicating efforts to reach a broader understanding between the two parties.
“If they want to merge, let the two presidents, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, discuss it. Don’t complicate the situation. The general election is still a long way off,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony of the Chinatown 1974 Building in Kuala Lumpur today.
Johari’s remarks come as PAS steps up its push for “ummah unity” ahead of the 16th General Election (GE16), with party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang declaring that PAS would defend every parliamentary seat, including those won in the previous general election.
Hadi’s position signals a potentially difficult issue for any PAS-UMNO electoral cooperation, particularly if the two parties seek to avoid contesting against each other in Malay-majority seats.
PAS has made the consolidation of Malay and Muslim political strength a key agenda for GE16, raising the prospect of closer cooperation with UMNO despite the two parties’ previous political differences.
Johari, however, cautioned against allowing discussions over seat allocations to run ahead of any formal political understanding, stressing that there was still ample time before the next general election.
His call for Zahid and Hadi to handle the matter places the potential PAS-UMNO pact firmly in the hands of the two party presidents, while signalling that negotiations over the electoral map should not be rushed. - September 5, 2026
