Political observers say Umno will seek to regain its position of dominance, while PAS has a strong hold on four northern region states.PETALING JAYA: Clashes between PAS and Umno would be tough to avoid in the long term as both parties target the same segment of voters and are gunning to be the dominant player in Malay politics, says a political analyst.Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri.Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said the rivalry between the two parties would be the main test of the longevity and sincerity of the new Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional alliance, which was established for the Negeri Sembilan polls.Zaharuddin said the BN-PN pact in Negeri Sembilan was driven more by political necessity than ideological alignment, especially since splitting Malay votes would benefit their common enemy, Pakatan Harapan.However, he said clashes between PAS and Umno would be tough to avoid in the long term as both parties target the same segment of voters and are gunning to be the dominant player in Malay politics."This is where the BN-PN cooperation will really be tested. PAS is now the dominant force in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, while Umno wants to regain its position as the largest Malay party after losing dominance in 2018."Both parties target the same demographic of voters, carry the same Malay-Muslim narrative, and are competing for the same political space. They may be able to delay their clash, but it would be hard to avoid," he told FMT.Two days ago, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin poured cold water on the longevity of the BN-PN alliance, expecting Umno and PAS to clash fiercely in the northern states.
He said PAS has made way for Umno in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, but he did not expect the BN lynchpin to reciprocate in the northern states.PAS leads the Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu governments and used to lead the Perlis government, where it won nine seats for PN during the 2022 election. BN only has one assemblyman in Kelantan and none in the other three states. It also does not hold a single parliamentary seat in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu or Perlis.Azmi Hassan.Another political analyst, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, said the strong PAS influence in the four states would limit Umno's seat share when the two parties negotiate seat allocation.PAS would need to make room for Umno in certain seats, but t…
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