PETALING JAYA: The Umno general assembly next month is expected to offer hints on the party’s direction in the upcoming Melaka state election, say analysts.
For now, the party is keeping its cards close to its chest to retain the flexibility to negotiate electoral cooperation with other political parties.
Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the assembly would provide a forum for Umno to clarify its political direction ahead of the election, including its strategies and potential political cooperation.
This comes after the party recently gave Umno state chiefs the mandate to negotiate and discuss political cooperation with other parties for the coming election.
“The mandate gives Umno considerable flexibility to negotiate with any party, and the general assembly may provide clearer signals on whether Umno prefers to continue with existing cooperation or keep its options open,” he said.
Umno is set to hold its four-day general assembly from Sept 9 to 12, with PAS invited to attend the gathering in a reciprocal gesture following the party’s invitation to Umno leaders to attend its muktamar.
Sivamurugan said PAS’ invitation added a new dimension to relations between Umno and Pakatan Harapan, but did not necessarily mean Umno was moving away from the latter.
“However, it shows Umno wants to retain strategic options ahead of GE16. The key indicator will be whether the assembly produces concrete signals on cooperation and seat negotiations,” he said.
The assembly, he added, could also signal a shift in political strategy, with Barisan Nasional, of which Umno is a key component, likely to remain within the unity government.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said while the importance of sincerity and trust in any political cooperation might sound “cliche”, the message could be directed more towards Perikatan Nasional than Pakatan.
“In Muafakat Nasional 1.0, Umno was stabbed in the back, so I think this particular message on sincerity and trust is more directed towards Perikatan than it is directed to Pakatan,” he said.
Azmi said the mandate given to state leaders showed Umno was keeping its options open by allowing them to negotiate with parties they were comfortable with.
Sunway University political scientist Prof Wong Chin Huat said Umno was likely keeping its options open on electoral alliances, allowing it to negotiate with both PAS and PKR from a position of greater leverage.
He said the decision to give state leaders greater say in negotiating electoral cooperation could also strengthen Umno’s bargaining position with both PAS and Pakatan.
He added that PAS’ presence at the general assembly would not have a direct impact on Pakatan.
“In the lopsided Umno-Pakatan or PKR relationship, the latter would be very happy if Umno wants to get into some form of pact with Pakatan instead of a full Barisan-Perikatan alliance which PAS craves,” he said.
Wong said Umno wanted the electoral benefits of teaming up with PAS but might be wary of a permanent pact that could allow the Islamist party to emerge as the largest party in the next Federal Government.
