Pas and UMNO: A Possible Return to Cooperation, With Old Wounds Still Open

Pas’s invitation to UMNO’s top leaders carries more weight than a routine political courtesy. The leaders have been invited to attend the party’s 72nd annual congress in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, from September 2 to 5, reopening questions about the future of the two major Malay-Muslim parties.

The invitation was confirmed by Pas Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan after he chaired a meeting of the main committee for the congress at the Kelantan Islamic Training Centre. Attention has now shifted beyond whether UMNO will accept. The larger question is whether the congress will hear renewed debate about uniting Pas and UMNO.

Pas congresses traditionally give delegates a platform to express their views, debate the party’s direction and signal the grassroots’ priorities. If the relationship with UMNO comes up, the discussion could indicate whether Pas members are willing to reopen the door to a partnership once promoted as a major unifying project for Malay Muslims.

But reopening that door would not erase what happened before. Muafakat Nasional began with high hopes, bringing Pas and UMNO together after years as political opponents. Its message of Malay and Islamic unity persuaded supporters that a new era was beginning. The arrangement eventually failed as the political landscape shifted and UMNO, through Barisan Nasional, joined Pakatan Harapan and other parties in forming the Unity Government.

That history left both parties with reasons for caution. Pas may see the experience as proof that political agreements do not guarantee long-term loyalty. For UMNO, working with Pas also raised concerns about its own political space, including the risk of losing influence in Malay-majority areas. Any new effort would therefore face its hardest test over trust, particularly when negotiations reached seats, candidates, leadership and power.