Malay political unity only possible if Umno, PAS collaborate, says Shahril

 

Former Umno leaders Khairy Jamaluddin (left) and Shahril Hamdan hosting the Keluar Sekejap podcast. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan says the concept of uniting Malay political parties is only relevant if both Umno and PAS are on board.

In the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Shahril said efforts to unite Malay political parties would be futile if only one party is interested.

With the power Umno has now, I don’t see any of its top leaders wanting to entertain this idea of Muafakat Nasional (MN),

 he said.

Umno and PAS formed MN in 2019 as an electoral pact with the main aim of uniting the Malay-Muslim vote, but it collapsed after PAS chose to work with Bersatu, which Umno viewed as a betrayal.

Last week, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the party wanted Umno to join MN, as long as Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was not involved in any way.

Meanwhile, Shahril’s co-host, Khairy Jamaluddin, said the top five leaders in Umno had no incentive to align with PAS, adding that Zahid was more concerned about defending his parliamentary seat in Bagan Datuk in the next general election.

Khairy also noted that Umno vice-president Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, who is the Pahang menteri besar, formed the Pahang government by joining forces with Pakatan Harapan.

If Umno joins forces with PAS, they could claim the menteri besar’s role,

 he said. 

He (Wan Rosdy) believes PH is a better ally than PAS.

On Bersatu, Shahril said the party’s biggest failure is its reliance on protest votes from Umno supporters.

Shahril was asked by Khairy if Bersatu had built a new image as a positive choice for voters, rather than just being a protest option for Umno members.

The protest vote was significant during the last general election and the state elections, but Bersatu has not evolved since then,

 said Shahril.

They have failed in terms of a narrative, lack clear policies, and have not established a strong rhetoric.

On Sunday’s Penang DAP election, Shahril described Steven Sim’s appointment as the new Penang DAP chairman as a positive development for politics in the state.

Looking at the current situation, Sim is likely to be the next chief minister of Penang. It’s a big upgrade for him. - FMT