No deal between Barisan and Islamists in Negeri Sembilan according to UMNO leader

MALAYSIA: United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) are not in talks on seat sharing or an electoral deal in the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state elections.

At least this is what the UMNO leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said after the PAS leader, Abdul Hadi Awang, declared there was a deal between the two parties.

Zahid made it clear: “Not everything that has been said should be accepted as an accurate statement because we do not have any agreement with PAS. Even if there have been discussions, they are merely an understanding, and we have not finalised anything,” he told reporters.

The setback for PAS has sparked debates on social media, with pro-PAS elements claiming Umno will have a very tough time in this tiny state that borders Kuala Lumpur.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in the state is seeking a third mandate after controlling the state since May 12, 2018.

UMNO pulled its support for the PH-led government this year, and this has led to the eventual dissolution of the state assembly, paving the way for fresh polls that will be held on Aug 1.

A Facebook user said Barisan Nasional (BN) and UMNO could face a difficult task wresting control of Negeri Sembilan from PH in the upcoming state election if they contest without cooperation from Perikatan Nasional (PN) and PAS.

Reports suggest it is unlikely that PN will contest the elections after the drubbing it received in Johor over the weekend, losing all seats, with some candidates losing their deposits.

What PAS is offering is, according to Abdul Hadi, a deal that will allow UMNO to keep the 14 seats it bagged in the August 2023 election, while PAS will keep the three it won.

“The remaining seats we can divide amongst us,” he said.

“Also, we are not interested in the Mentri Besar post if we win, and UMNO can have it as they are the dominant force here.”

Responding to the PAS president, Zahid said any discussions were merely based on an understanding and had yet to result in a final agreement and that not all statements from PAS could be taken as accurate, describing Hadi’s remarks as a political statement by the party.

“We should not rely too much on them because they can change. This has happened many times before, and many parties have experienced this with them. Let’s see how things go because in Johor, what they said was different from the reality before nomination day and even on polling day,” he said.

He added: “They can change the goalposts at any time. So I view that as their political statement”.