PAS has failed to meet the conditions outlined by Umno for both parties to work together and is set to face its Islamist rivals in 27 parliamentary seats in the upcoming general election, said Mohamed Khaled Nordin. 

The Umno vice-president said the cooperation between Umno and PAS will not take off as the Islamist party has not accepted the three conditions set by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to revive their cooperation under Muafakat Nasional. 

The three conditions set by the Umno president on October 2 are for PAS to pull out from Perikatan Nasional (PN), cut political ties with Bersatu, and officially declare that it would leave PN and Bersatu. 

“If there is no cooperation with PAS, then both parties will compete (in 27 seats),” he told reporters last night after a supreme council meeting yesterday. 

On another matter, the former Johor menteri besar said the party would start identifying its candidates for the upcoming general election from today. 

“In our practice as stipulated in the party constitution, the state chiefs have to submit the candidate lists to the leadership. The process will begin today,” he said. 

Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced the dissolution of parliament to make way for the general election. 

He said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had given his royal assent for the dissolution of the current parliament term, which was set to end in July. 

Umno also suggested that mid-November is the best time for the 15th general election (GE15), before the monsoon season begins. – October 11, 2022.