Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman Mahdzir Khalid plans to meet Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor after the 2026 Umno General Assembly to discuss possible Umno-Pas cooperation in the state.
Mahdzir said the meeting would take place after both parties had concluded their respective gatherings, with Pas having held its muktamar in Kota Baru before Umno’s general assembly this week.
“Let us finish our gatherings first. All their party leaders were in Kelantan for the muktamar in Kota Baru, and this week we are in Kuala Lumpur for the Umno general assembly.
“Once the muktamar and Umno general assembly are over, we will find time to meet,” he told the New Straits Times at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
He was responding to a question on whether he would meet Sanusi, who is also Pas election director, to discuss cooperation between the two parties in Kedah.
Umno-Pas understanding ahead of GE16
Mahdzir said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s policy speech today had set a clear direction for the party ahead of the 16th General Election, including towards an understanding with Pas.
He said such cooperation would meet the wishes of Malays who wanted the community’s political parties to work together.
“Previously, people may have been speculating about where Umno was heading. His policy speech today clearly outlined cooperation through an understanding with Pas,” he said.
Sanusi’s position to be discussed
However, Mahdzir declined to say whether Kedah Umno would accept Sanusi remaining as menteri besar, saying the matter would be discussed in future negotiations and decided by the party leadership.
“We are party members, and decisions by the top leadership form the basis for us to conduct negotiations or make decisions,” he said.
Mahdzir said any understanding would also have to take into account the different circumstances in states controlled by Umno and those governed by other parties.
“Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis are controlled by Pas, and they call themselves SG4. We will discuss that when the time comes,” he said.
