Hamzah’s absence from Umno assembly signals limited Malay pact, say analysts

 They say Umno appears to be looking for an exclusive relationship with PAS, potentially sidelining Hamzah Zainudin’s party, Wawasan.

Hamzah Zainudin was absent from the recent Umno general assembly, despite Wawasan forming part of the BN-led bloc that won the Negeri Sembilan state election.

PETALING JAYA:

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin’s absence from the recent Umno general assembly has fuelled speculation that the party’s emerging Malay pact may be confined to PAS, analysts say.

The assembly, held last week, saw the presence of several top PAS leaders, including vice-president Idris Ahmad, secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, and Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman, the political secretary of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

In contrast, Umno’s most recent cooperation during the Negeri Sembilan state election also involved Wawasan, a component of Perikatan Nasional. Led by Hamzah, Wawasan secured three seats after contesting as part of the BN-led bloc that later formed the state government.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said Hamzah’s absence was significant, as Wawasan had until now positioned itself as the link between BN, led by Umno, and PN, where PAS is dominant.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.

“Wawasan has been trying to be the bridge between Umno and PAS, but a bridge is only needed for as long as the two sides do not have their own route,” he told FMT.

Political analyst Mazlan Ali agreed, saying the development suggested that Umno was prioritising direct ties with PAS over engagement with PN as a whole.

“Umno knows that PN’s real strength lies with PAS, and wants a more exclusive relationship with PAS,” he said.

Mazlan said Umno and PAS share political history through Muafakat Nasional, whereas Wawasan—an offshoot of Bersatu, itself a splinter party of Umno—represents a different trajectory.

Mazlan Ali.

He said Wawasan secretary-general Saifuddin Abdullah’s earlier proposal that Hamzah be considered a prime ministerial candidate after GE16 may have also unsettled Umno.

Mazlan said the proposal was premature, coming at a time when the shape of cooperation was still unclear, and risked reinforcing perceptions that Wawasan was pursuing its own power agenda within PN.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Umno may be more comfortable accepting PAS as a political guest because ties between the two parties could be framed around a Malay-Muslim narrative.

On the other hand, the presence of Hamzah and Wawasan carried a different sensitivity, he said. “For Wawasan and Hamzah, the history with Umno is too dark and too bitter.”

Azmi Hassan.

Hamzah, a former Umno leader, left the party in December 2018, following BN’s defeat in GE14.

The Larut MP, together with several colleagues, joined Bersatu in February 2019, rising to become one of PN’s key figures and culminating in his appointment as opposition leader.

Zaharuddin said developments in Negeri Sembilan and Johor showed that Umno-PAS ties were changing. However, he noted that a clear BN-PN formula for political union has yet to crystalise, with power negotiations ongoing.

He said Wawasan’s leadership should reassess its position should Umno and PAS become more comfortable with direct engagement.

“If Umno and PAS become increasingly comfortable negotiating directly, Wawasan would have to prove itself as not merely a political intermediary, but a party with real electoral value,” he said. - FMT