Kedah Umno will begin discussions with PAS on possible political cooperation but will not negotiate with Perikatan Nasional (PN), according to a party division chief.
Merbok Umno chief Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin told the Umno general assembly that Kedah Umno would not negotiate with PN because the coalition includes a party he referred to as “the cat”, a description he attributed to Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor, who is also PAS election director.
Kedah Umno draws line with PN
Shaiful also referred to Umno and smaller parties using animal comparisons, saying Sanusi had previously described Umno as the “elephant” and the other side as the “cat”.
“Sanusi was the one who said we would not negotiate with a ‘dwarf party’. We are the elephant party, while they (the PN component) are the cat party,” he said during the debate on the president’s policy speech.
“This party is causing trouble. So Kedah Umno will not negotiate with the cat party. We will negotiate with PAS.”
Shaiful did not name the party he was referring to, but went on to criticise elected representatives who had left Bersatu to join Wawasan.
Concerns over elected representatives
“President, Kedah Umno wishes to express some concern about certain groups,” he said, addressing Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Suddenly, the elected representative for a constituency announces their resignation and joins Wawasan. Kedah Umno sees this as buying insurance at the last minute.”
However, Shaiful said Kedah Umno would ultimately leave it to Zahid to decide on the party’s broader political direction.
It was previously reported that Kedah Umno chairman Mahdzir Khalid was planning to meet Sanusi to discuss possible cooperation ahead of the 16th general election.
Umno’s weak showing in Kedah
Umno failed to win a single parliamentary seat in Kedah during the 2022 general election and was wiped out of the state assembly in the following year’s state election.
PAS holds the lion’s share of both parliamentary and state seats in Kedah.
Sanusi said at PAS’s recent muktamar that the party would no longer give up winnable seats to other parties in future elections.
