KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) says it has no hard feelings after its ally in the Unity Government, Umno, decided not to invite the coalition to the Umno General Assembly (PAU) 2026, scheduled to take place from Wednesday to Sunday.

Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said PH would neither take offence nor pressure Umno into inviting the coalition to the assembly.

However, he questioned why Umno had not invited its Unity Government ally while extending an invitation to PAS, which is an opposition party.

“I also do not know what its (Umno’s) intention is, what is in its heart, you know, it did not invite us because it is their assembly, so the invitation is up to them, whether they want to invite us or not. I do not know why they did not invite PH and why they invited others (PAS).

“I also do not want to force them to explain this matter to us and so on. That is up to them. It is their party’s affair,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi previously said PH was not invited to PAU 2026 and that even if an invitation had been extended, he expected the coalition would not send a representative this time.

He said PAS was invited in return for the invitation extended to Umno to attend the 72nd PAS Muktamar in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, last weekend.

Mahfuz said PH would meanwhile continue making early preparations for various possibilities, including cooperation in the Melaka state election and the 16th General Election.

“We have also been prepared from the beginning to cooperate and so on, but if they feel they no longer need cooperation with PH, that is up to them and what they choose to do.

“They cannot be in the same house, but at the same time be friends with those who want to tear the house down,” he said.

Meanwhile, PKR Youth deputy chief Nabil Halimi said PKR respected Umno’s decision not to invite PH to PAU 2026.

He said PKR and PH would continue to focus on governing the country until the end of the term while maintaining efforts to restructure Malaysia’s economy.

“We have no issue if we are invited, and the decision on whether to attend would be ours, based on the decision of the president (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim).

“But if we are not invited, it is not a problem for us and we do not see it as a sign or any decision indicating a split in the Unity Government,” he said.

He added that PH should not feel slighted despite being left off the guest list while an opposition party had been invited to the assembly.

“We do not need to feel hurt by whatever happens because this is a political party conference.

“It is a platform for any political party to discuss the future of their party and Umno’s future, and it is not PKR’s decision to make,” he said.  - malaymail