Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has urged Perikatan Nasional (PN) to dissolve following fresh divisions within the opposition coalition.
The rift centres on the Perlis menteri besar position. He highlighted ongoing strains after eight PN assemblymen withdrew support for Perlis Menteri Besar Shukri Ramli.
Akmal noted that Umno had often encouraged PAS to prioritise the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact. This agreement existed between the two Malay-Muslim parties before the 2022 general election. However, PAS chose instead to strengthen its ties with Bersatu within PN.
‘True Colours’ Revealed in Backstabbing
“Today, you see each other’s true colours, getting stabbed in the back,” Akmal remarked. He was referring to the withdrawal of support for Shukri Ramli. In a Facebook post, he suggested, “Just dissolve PN and revive MN. How about that?”
The MN charter was signed by Umno and PAS in 2019. It marked a significant step towards uniting Malay political strength after years of rivalry. The pact aimed to consolidate support among Malay voters.
Shift to Perikatan Nasional
After the Pakatan Harapan government’s collapse and Muhyiddin Yassin’s appointment as prime minister in 2020, PAS aligned with Bersatu to form PN. Umno perceived this move as a betrayal. PAS also pushed to include Bersatu in MN, which Umno rejected.
The Muafakat Nasional agreement formally ended in December 2022. Umno then supported PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister. This shift marked a major realignment in Malaysian politics.
PAS Interest in Revival
PAS leaders have occasionally raised the possibility of reviving MN. However, the party’s president, Abdul Hadi Awang, stated that any revival must exclude Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Such conditions have complicated discussions on cooperation.
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