UMNO grassroots in Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah want seat allocations between their party and PAS for the 15th general election to be settled quickly, as confusion abounds over the current relationship between both parties.

Kuala Terengganu Umno youth vice-chief Mazahan Mohd Ali said if the leadership of both parties do not settle the issue and give clear directions, clashes between the two partners in the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact will not be a surprise when elections are held.

“It is not because Umno wants to pick fights. We are just confused. Ultimately, we will follow what our leadership decides. But at the moment, from the way things are going, it looks like there will be clashes.

“As far as I can see, the state leadership have not had any specific discussions and, as such, there are no tasks assigned to grassroots members,” he said.

There have been rumblings within Umno about PAS over the issue of seat allocations in the three states. The Islamist party rules Terengganu and Kelantan.

Seat negotiations between PAS and Umno in these states became a hot topic when the Islamist party’s leaders began making statements about the matter without prior discussions with Umno.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also state PAS commissioner, said in July PAS would defend the six out of eight parliamentary seats the party holds in the state.

Terengganu Umno chairman Ahmad Said then retaliated by saying Umno would field its candidates in all eight parliamentary seats and 32 state assembl seats.

The matter was further complicated when Bersatu, MN’s newest member, said it also wants to contest two parliamentary and six state seats in Terengganu.

Mazahan said Umno grassroots are unhappy that PAS’ leaders kept harping on seat negotiations, with little respect for its partnership with Umno in MN.

There is also distrust within Umno for PAS, after the latter became a sponsor for Perikatan Nasional to be registered as a formal coalition, while Umno has opted to stay out of it and use the Barisan Nasional logo in the next general election.

The MN pact, on the other hand, is not a formal coalition but an agreement between member parties to cooperate for political ends.

Kelantan Umno grassroots members, too, are not happy with PAS’ manner when making statements about seat allocations, even though the state Umno leadership has already expressed willingness to let PAS take the lead. PAS holds nine out of Kelantan’s 14 state seats.

Even if PAS holds more seats than Umno in the northern east coast states, Umno grassroots are still unhappy with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s remarks at the annual general meeting last month that PAS would contest in the majority of state seats there and in Kedah.

Some Kelantan Umno members who did not want to be named said seat negotiations should be announced jointly by Umno and PAS in keeping with the “spirit of MN”, since the two parties are partners.

“It’s very disappointing, even though as members we will in the end, follow what our leaders say,” said another Kelantan Umno member.

In Kedah, Langkawi Umno youth chief Ahmad Marzuki Shari said the leadership on both sides should resolve seat negotiations early.

“Avoid clashes between PAS and Umno. This is the way if we want to be a strong force to contend with.”

PAS youth deputy chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said statements by various PAS leaders on contesting seats, without consultation with Umno, are merely opinions or suggestions.

“Anyone has the right to say what they think about it, such as giving suggestions, as long as the matter has not been finalised.”

During the PAS muktamar last month, Fadhli urged his party to contest a total of 40 seats in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, or in other words, all of the parliamentary seats in those states.

Kelantan has 14 parliamentary seats, Terengganu (8), Kedah (15) and Perlis (3).

Fadhli said his suggestion is based on the bigger picture, which is to deny Pakatan Harapan re-entry to Putrajaya. – October 13, 2020.