Umno-PAS pact will have its own PM candidate before GE15, says Khaled Nordin

INTERVIEW | The loose Umno-PAS Muafakat Nasional pact will name a prime minister candidate en route to the next general election, said Khaled Nordin.

An Umno vice-president, Khaled told Malaysiakini that this is something that they would have to do as an alternative to the Pakatan Harapan government in rule today.

"Of course, because at the end of the day, Muafakat Nasional would be an alternative to the current government.

"At that point in time, it cannot be avoided that Muafakat Nasional needs to have a candidate for the post of the prime minister," he said during a special interview in conjunction with next month's Umno General Assembly.

The former Johor menteri besar said the time has not arrived to discuss who would be named as Muafakat Nasional's prime minister.

However, in saying this, Khaled did not dismiss the calls by some who had suggested the return of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to the post.

"I don't know (if Najib would make a comeback as PM). I do not deny there are some who want him as PM again, but whether he would be a candidate (for Muafakat Nasional), that I do not know."

Asked whether he would support the idea of having Najib (photo) on board as the top executive, Khaled stopped short of giving a definitive answer.

"It depends. If after the (next Umno) election, I do not have anything (position in the party), my support as an ordinary member won't mean much to the members," he said.

Umno and PAS learning to work together

According to Khaled, the cooperation between Umno and PAS under Muafakat Nasional is still a concept and yet to be a formal political entity on its own.

Both parties are also still learning to work with each other and looking forward to improving their relationship after decades of being on opposite sides of the political divide.

For the record, the two parties had once formed a united front when PAS joined the BN coalition following the May 13, 1969, racial riots, but parted ways in 1977.

"We do not expect everything to be perfect, instantly, the time we formed the unity pact. It will have to go stage by stage, and there won't be a one size fits all approach to this.

"It needs to be acknowledged that there are still differences in certain areas. These all are what the top leaderships (of both parties) are going to address.

"We realise this and we are working on it," Khaled said.

In going to challenge the current ruling coalition for the next election, he said the two parties also understand the strength and weaknesses that Umno and PAS have.

These include the fact that each has its own strongholds and supporter bases in each region in the country.

"This would be the guidance for us," Khaled said in answering a question on the distribution of seats between the two parties to contest in the next general election.

He also dismissed any notion that this would be a big problem for the pact.

"Because it is very clear. We know where we won and where we lost. At seats where both PAS and Umno lost, we know which party won more votes.

"The most important point is that both parties must continue to meet and discuss."

To wrestle Putrajaya from Harapan would also need Muafakat Nasional securing the support of the East Malaysian states, Khaled noted.

However, according to him, while Umno already has its footing in Sabah, it does not have any plan to enter Sarawak.

For the record, the BN coalition led by Umno used to rule Sarawak based on support from their component parties in the state. However, the BN was abandoned by most of its component parties, except Umno, MCA and MIC, after losing the 14th general election last year.

"We won't go into Sarawak. Because the local parties are strong enough and sufficient to represent the interests of the people there," he said, not dismissing the possibility of Muafakat Nasional going to seek the hands of the local parties to form a government.

As for the fact that PAS has already established itself in Sarawak, Khaled said Umno would not stop its ally from contesting in that state as it was the party's right to do so.

Muafakat Nasional the solution for Malays

Explaining further about the Umno-PAS cooperation, Khaled told Malaysiakini that Muafakat Nasional is a manifestation of the concerns of the Malays over the Harapan government's policies.

Umno and PAS, he said, are giving solutions to the grassroots Malays in facing the issues in the country.

"This is not just a cooperation between two political parties. This cooperation is to answer the concerns of the Malays who do not understand what the current government is doing.

"So, it (Muafakat Nasional) is making an effort to unite the Malays. The Malays have agreed to unite. This is not about Umno or PAS alone, but to unite all Malays under Muafakat Nasional."

Khaled went on to stress that this does not mean the interests of the non-Malays would be sidelined.

"For Muafakat Nasional to succeed, firstly it must have the unity of the Malays to form a strong force that would put the Malays back to their position as the core of this country.

"But, in being the core, we also want the Chinese and the Indians to unite with us too. This was just like when we reached independence, where the Malays are the core, but all the other races are protected and taken care of, as stipulated in the Federal Constitution." - Mkini