Tough to retake Selangor without PAS’ help, says state Umno chief

 

Noh Omar says one of the reasons the coalition failed to reclaim the state in the last general election was due to the three-cornered fights among BN, PH and PAS. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: It will be difficult for Barisan Nasional to wrest Selangor from Pakatan Harapan if the party is at odds with PAS, the state Umno chief admitted tonight.

Noh Omar, who is also the Selangor BN chairman, said one of the reasons the coalition failed to reclaim the state in the last general election was due to the three cornered fights among BN, the opposition and the Islamist party.

“The best way is with Muafakat Nasional,” he said, referring to the political pact the country’s two biggest Malay parties forged in 2019.

“Which is why we have good ties with PAS in the state. I hope both the Umno and PAS leadership are watching. Selangor is different. Different states have different politics,” he said in an interview.

Noh Omar also revealed that he had brought up the possibility of Umno’s cooperation with PAS to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Noh also said he had personally pleaded with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to avoid competing for the same seats in Selangor at the next elections, adding that if such clashes could not be avoided it would be disastrous for both parties.

He expressed hope that the cooperation under MN would continue in Selangor, but said that if PAS decided to contest under the Perikatan Nasional banner, then they “would be left with no choice”.

“Don’t blame Umno if we go head-to-head,” he said, adding that the ties among the grassroots of the two parties were strong.

Noh’s comments come days after PAS rejected its pact with Umno under MN, with Hadi saying they did not want to be “shackled” to the party.

“It must be accepted that PN, which has become a bigger political movement, needs to be in power in this plural society,” Hadi told party organ, Harakahdaily.

In what could be seen as further criticism of Umno, he also said MN seems to be an “incomplete” coalition, and described Barisan Nasional (BN) as “already sick”.

Noh also did not dismiss the possibility that BN would have the upper hand in Selangor because Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin were no longer part of PH. The two ministers had been with PKR in the last general election. - FMT