‘Prospect of cooperation haunted by distrust from abandonment of original pact’
PETALING JAYA: Talk of reviving Muafakat Nasional (MN) ahead of the 16th general election (GE16) is resurfacing among PAS leaders and select Umno figures but deep-rooted distrust and Umno’s footing in the Unity government remain barriers to any reunion.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said while Islamic-based parties have long harboured hopes of resurrecting the Umno–PAS alliance, there is no certainty that Umno would agree to a second iteration of MN.
He said lingering distrust continues to haunt the prospect of cooperation, rooted in PAS’ decision to abandon the original MN pact before aligning itself with Bersatu under Perikatan Nasional (PN).
MN was formed in 2019 to unite Malay political forces after decades of rivalry between Umno and PAS.
However, the alliance fractured in 2020 when PAS partnered with Bersatu, a move Umno perceived as a betrayal of trust.
He added that while Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has floated the idea of a “Muafakat Nasional 2.0”, such calls do not represent the position of Umno’s top leadership.
“They (do not) trust PAS after Umno felt it was betrayed during Muafakat Nasional 1.0.”
He added that PAS’ recent friction with Bersatu, particularly in the wake of the political crisis in Perlis, appears to have triggered renewed overtures towards Umno.
However, Mazlan said the silence of Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi indicates that the party’s broader leadership remains unconvinced.
“It appears that only the Umno Youth leader is actively campaigning for this, but (the party) as a whole still believes that remaining in the Unity government is better.”
He added that Umno is unlikely to risk its standing within the Madani government by reopening ties with PAS.
He said from a strategic perspective, Umno stands to gain more electorally by remaining aligned with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
He also said PAS remains Umno’s direct rival in Malay-majority constituencies, limiting the strategic value of renewed cooperation.
On whether growing dissatisfaction among Malay-Muslim voters towards PH and DAP could revive Umno–PAS cooperation, Mazlan said such support is already near saturation.
“If Umno works with PAS, support may increase slightly, but urban Malay and non-Malay support would remain concentrated in PH.
“Umno and PAS may win in Malay-majority areas, but in mixed and urban constituencies, they would likely lose to PH.”
The renewed debate over MN comes amid shifting political dynamics involving both Umno and PN.
On Dec 28, PAS election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor reiterated his commitment to reviving the spirit of MN, calling on Umno members and supporters to cooperate with PAS ahead of GE16 to strengthen Muslim unity and ensure political stability at the grassroots level.
Within Umno, calls to revisit MN have emerged from select quarters.
Apart from Akmal, party veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has also made remarks suggesting a reassessment of Umno’s position within the Unity government.
At the same time, tensions within PN have intensified, particularly between PAS and Bersatu, following political turmoil in Perlis, in which the appointment of a Bersatu Menteri Besar, despite PAS holding more seats, has unsettled the party.
