Umno and PAS' Muafakat Nasional collaboration is prepared to face the 15th general elections if called anytime in the near future.
Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin told Malaysiakini the two parties have regularly met to discuss current domestic political affairs.
"We are always in contact and we often meet, just yesterday the (Muafakat Nasional) committee met. Between political parties [...] there were many political issues discussed," Khaled said when contacted today.
Just two days ago, amid political uncertainties, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi indicated that his party, too, was ready to face GE15.
Zahid had taken to Facebook at the time and revealed that he received a visit from former premier Najib Abdul Razak and several others.
"We are ready to face GE15. Are you all ready to be with us?" he asked in his post.
According to Umno sources, the meeting between Zahid and Najib had discussed preparations to face GE15 as well as the upcoming Chini by-election.
Najib is the Pekan MP and Pekan Umno chief while his son, Mohd Nizar, is Pekan Umno Youth chief who has been touted as a possible candidate to contest the state seat under the Pekan parliamentary seat.
Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said Muafakat Nasional - formed as a predecessor to the Perikatan Nasional government which includes Bersatu and several East Malaysian parties - had long made preparations to face GE15.
He said the state of their readiness was translated into victories in five by-elections before the eventual change at the federal level from Pakatan Harapan to Perikatan Nasional.
"We have been ready from the beginning, with five by-election wins starting from Cameron Highlands and the last in Kimanis. In fact, we are confident of a big win in GE15 and we see a big potential to win," said the Pasir Salak MP.
"The people are also satisfied with the government of the day, supported by Umno and PAS," he said.
Tajuddin further said that Muafakat Nasional had a high chance of retaining Putrajaya so long as all parties were fully committed to cooperation.
In terms of seat allocations, he said the matter had been discussed and will be finalised when the time comes to ensure that there will be no three-cornered fights among them.
Previously there were speculations of a growing rift between Umno and Bersatu, the latter not being a part of the Muafakat Nasional pact.
In facing GE15, questions were raised over seat distributions between Umno, PAS and Bersatu as all three parties are vying for the same Malay-Muslim majority support base.
Meanwhile, Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan) Youth chief Shahir Adnan supported calls for GE15 to be held ahead of its May 2023 deadline in order to restore political stability.
He argued that a new mandate was necessary to get the country out of the current political conflict involving former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and the prime minister's post.
"We pray that Muafakat Nasional is given a big victory so the country can escape from Dr Mahathir and Anwar's political conflict.
"Younger candidates must be given their place in order to revive Malaysian politics," he said. - Mkini
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