Umno-PAS electoral pact also in joint charter
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno and PAS would be avoiding facing off each other in the 15th general by signing an electoral pact, end of August.
It would effectively avoid the parties from committing the wrong election strategy that were used in the 14th general election that saw many seats having a three cornered fights due to the presence of Umno and PAS candidates in the same seats.
The pact is part of the Umno – PAS joint charter and memorandum of understanding to be signed next month.
Both the biggest Malay Muslim parties would be vying for the Malay majority seats in the next general election.
“The terms of the pact were finalised and agreed to in a meeting between our parties last week.
“We are now trying to find a suitable date and venue for the ceremony to launch and sign the Umno-PAS charter,” Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said, reported The Star.
An analysis on the parliament seats won by Pakatan Harapan in the 14th general election indicated that there are a total of 21 parliament seats where the ruling coalition’s votes were lesser than the combined votes of Umno and PAS.
Of the 21, seven seats are in Kedah, including the seat held by Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir – Jerlun. Mukhriz is also Kedah Menteri Besar
Other seats are located in Perlis, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor.
In terms of state seats, there are two seats in Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, eight each in Kedah and Perak, nine each in Penang and Selangor, six in Johor and one in Perlis.
Annuar clarified that the pact would not need to be approved at the party’s annual general meeting, scheduled in November, since the supreme council has endorsed it already.
“However, we aim to eventually expand this agreement to include other parties so that it will cover the interests of all groups in the country,” he added.
Annuar also revealed that PAS requested Umno to delay the launch of the pact and charter to September as the Islamist party wanted to update their committee members.
