Perak: Umno wants to dance with Harapan, sans DAP

 

Perak Umno is seriously contemplating the possibility of working with Pakatan Harapan to form a new state government.

However, according to sources familiar with ongoing discussions, there is one stumbling block - Perak Umno does not want DAP in the executive.

This position is of course understandable. Umno and DAP have traditionally depended on mutual animosity for electoral gains.

Changing the narrative now - that an alliance could bring political stability and put aside politics of antagonism - would damage Umno's standing among grassroots, said sources.

Therefore, Umno's condition to form a new Perak government was that only PKR and Amanah would be allowed into the new cabinet, or executive council (exco) as it is commonly known.

"This demand is totally illogical," said the source, pointing to the fact that DAP, with 16 seats, was the second-largest bloc in Perak after Umno (25 seats).

So far, DAP's allies PKR and Amanah have remained steadfast that Harapan - a multi-ethnic broad-based coalition - should be accepted en bloc by Umno.

Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak has gone public on this while Perak Amanah chief Asmuni Awi (below) had told Malaysiakini the same.

"We will enter (into an agreement) en bloc. No one should be left behind," said Asmuni, who is the Manjoi assemblyperson.

It is understood that Perak Umno leaders met their Harapan counterparts yesterday but the result was inconclusive.

A final decision will likely depend on the outcome of meetings by Umno and Harapan's respective national leadership later today.

So far, the top leadership of both Umno and DAP seem open to the idea.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters in Ipoh yesterday that all cards were on the table.

Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming, who is also the party's deputy secretary-general, wrote an open letter in Chinese to explain that the negotiations were an opportunity to pursue the party's goal of justice, good governance and multiculturalism.

However, time is ticking for the negotiating parties. The Perak government has just a few weeks left to pass its budget. The legislative assembly meets again on Wednesday. - Mkini