Alliances with other parties not as simple as it sounds, says Zahid

The Umno president says it is a case of once-bitten-twice-shy when it comes to the possibility of renewing ties with former allies-turned-nemesis.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi questioned the viability of a ‘big tent’ for Malay parties.

PETALING JAYA:

 Umno’s interests and longevity must be factored in when considering alliances with other parties, especially rivals, under the “big tent” concept, president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

Zahid said that collaborating with other parties, especially those that Umno had worked with in the past, “isn’t as easy as it sounds”.

“It is a case of once bitten, twice shy,” he told FMT, alluding to calls by Umno Youth for the party to join forces once more with PAS.

PAS and Umno had in 2019 established Muafakat Nasional (MN), an electoral pact aimed at consolidating Malay-Muslim suppport.

The pact fell apart after PAS formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) with Bersatu. PAS insisted that Bersatu be included in MN, but Umno was opposed to the idea.

In his call for unity among the Malays on Jan 3, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said the two largest Malay parties, Umno and PAS, must take the lead in fostering solidarity.

Akmal’s call for cooperation with PAS came in the wake of PAS election director Sanusi Nor’s statement that MN should be revived as a platform for unity ahead of the next general election.

Zahid also questioned the viability of a “big tent” for Malay parties, saying the last tent erected “fell apart under the weight of political greed”, in reference to MN and PN.

“And who was responsible for this ‘big tent’? The same person who divided the Malays by establishing other parties because he was no longer in Umno,” Zahid said, in a veiled jab at former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir previously helped form Bersatu and Pejuang. And prior to the 2022 general election, he also established the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition, with Pejuang as one of the components.

“Some former Umno leaders want to act like they are unifiers, even though they’ve never had a firm stance in politics,” Zahid said.

In June 2025, Mahathir invited Umno members to join his “Malay secretariat committee”, formed in hopes of uniting the Malays and “restoring Malay power” in government.

He said the coalition, which included PAS and Bersatu, was not a formal political party for now, but a broad umbrella to safeguard the political and economic future of the Malays.

When asked what set Umno apart from PAS and Bersatu, Zahid said that his party practised a different kind of politics.

“They (PAS and Bersatu) like to pit one against another. Umno isn’t like that. We unite the people on the basis of working together.

“We move together, without prejudice,” he added. - FMT