UMNO wants to form a unity government with PAS in four opposition states, said Mohamad Hasan as it moves to fortify its alliance with the Islamist party.

The acting Umno president said the Umno-PAS government could be called “united ummah (community) government.”

Mohamad said the matter was discussed during the technical committee meeting between the two parties on Tuesday.

“I discussed with PAS the other day that if possible, we should start with a unity government known as the united ummah government in Terengganu, Pahang, Kelantan, and Perlis.

“But in Perak and Kedah where there is only a narrow difference between BN-PAS seats and Pakatan Harapan, we will ‘shake’ them (Harapan) so that they will not sit easy,” Mohamad was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying in Jasin today, during a meeting with Umno state chapter leaders.

In the general election last May, Barisan Nasional lost all but Pahang and Perlis to Pakatan Harapan and PAS, which captured Terengganu and retained Kelantan.

Following Umno and PAS’ crushing defeats, the two parties forged an alliance to challenge PH for Putrajaya, and have since set up a special technical committee to explore further political cooperation.

Working in tandem, PAS and BN have suffered three defeats and won twice in the five by-elections that have been called since May 9. 

PH-controlled states that are most threatened by the Umno-PAS team-up are Kedah and Perak. In Kedah, PH holds 19 of the 36 seats in the state assembly, and PAS holds 15 and BN, 2. In Perak,  PH holds 30 of the 59 seats in the state assembly, BN 25, PAS three, and independent one. – March 9, 2019.