ANALYSIS: PAS convention weighs the gains and losses of political cooperation

Seven years ago, PAS made history at its convention in Kuantan, Pahang, by accepting a proposal for taawun siyasi, or political cooperation, with UMNO. The decision followed debate among the party’s wings and delegates over Muslim unity and cooperation, before receiving approval at PAS’s 65th annual convention.

The move carried particular weight because PAS and UMNO had been political rivals for decades, despite having cooperated in the past. Three months after the convention, the two parties signed the Muafakat Nasional charter at the Ummah Unity Gathering at the World Trade Centre. The agreement called for cooperation built around an Islamic and Malay narrative, while acknowledging religious, ethnic and cultural diversity as the basis for political stability, racial harmony and national well-being.

That relationship did not last. Bersatu’s entry into Muafakat Nasional changed the original dynamic and helped lead to the formation of Perikatan Nasional in 2020. On Oct. 13, 2022, PAS formally decided to remain with PN, effectively ending its cooperation with UMNO through Muafakat Nasional.

Now, after six convention cycles, Muslim unity and PAS-UMNO cooperation are again being debated at PAS’s 72nd convention in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan. The discussion reflects PAS’s stated desire to unite Malay-Muslim parties with non-Muslim parties that are not extreme. PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang has repeatedly referred to that approach when discussing the cooperation the party wants to explore in response to current challenges.

The central question is whether UMNO will fully embrace a renewed partnership. The two parties have already tested cooperation in recent state elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan. UMNO’s Supreme Council also recently considered empirical studies by agencies, researchers and academics on public sentiment, particularly among Malays.