Amirudin Shari says Umno-PAS unity talk has failed before, touts PH’s economic record instead.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan’s election director, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, has dismissed calls for a “unity of the ummah” between Umno and PAS as a recycled political tactic that has repeatedly failed to gain traction with Malaysian voters, pointing instead to Pakatan Harapan (PH)’s track record of governance as the coalition’s real strength heading into the Negeri Sembilan state election.
In a statement titled People’s Unity for Malaysia’s Future, Amirudin noted that PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Umno have a long history of mutual criticism dating back to 1981, when Hadi was widely accused of dividing Muslims, Malays and Malaysians, the same year he in turn branded Umno a “jahiliah” (ignorant/pre-Islamic) party.
He said PAS’ more recent overtures toward Umno, framed as an effort to unite the Malay-Muslim community, are not new and echo at least three previous episodes of similar cooperation attempts — in 1972, when PAS joined Barisan Nasional; in 2008, when BN lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority; and in 2018, when BN suffered its first-ever defeat in a general election.
Amirudin argued that all three attempts collapsed for the same reason: what he described as a lack of principle, self-interest and hunger for power among certain political actors, who he claimed would eventually turn on their partners once their political ambitions were not met.
To illustrate his point about PAS-linked dominance in the states it governs, Amirudin cited legislative assembly compositions in four northern and east coast states — noting that Perikatan Nasional holds all 32 seats in the Terengganu state assembly, 44 of 45 seats in Kelantan, and 33 of 36 seats in Kedah, while Perlis has only a single opposition assemblyman.
Despite this level of political dominance, he argued, the promise that “ummah unity” would resolve the people’s problems and boost the economy has not translated into higher living standards.
He claimed residents of Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis should, by that logic, already be living far more comfortably and earning more than people in Tokyo, Dubai and Doha — and that Johor, despite having ten deputy state executive councillors, should already have become “the Shenzhen of Southeast Asia.”
Instead, Amirudin said, residents of these states continue to migrate to states like Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang in search of better job opportunities and living standards.
He warned that Barisan Nasional needs to recognise this reality, cautioning that BN risked being “swallowed” by Perikatan Nasional, pointing to the recent “Perikatan Barisan Nasional” branding proposal as an early sign of PN’s ambitions to dominate BN.
In contrast, Amirudin said, Pakatan Harapan has demonstrated that a coalition built on trust, values, integrity and a genuine commitment to uplifting the people can deliver real economic results — citing the coalition’s record in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, and now at the federal level. He listed specific achievements including financial aid for lower-income groups to cope with the cost of living, continued religious freedom and harmony, quality education and job opportunities for youth, affordable housing for families, and support for senior citizens in recognition of their contributions.
He concluded by asserting that if other parties, “lacking in ideas,” continue to push the “ummah unity” rhetoric, Pakatan Harapan remains committed to a vision of national unity grounded in the principles of Rukun Negara, aimed at securing a prosperous, harmonious and stable future for both Negeri Sembilan and Malaysia through a confident and forward-looking society.
