‘Umno, Pas should consider teaming up’
SHAH ALAM: Malay-based parties Umno and Pas should consider working together in the Sungai Kandis by-election.
Former state Pas secretary Norman Toha said such cooperation was appropriate as some 70 per cent of the state constituency were made up of Malay voters.
He said it was the right platform to test the support of Malay voters on the possibility of Umno and Pas forming a coalition government after the 14th General Election (GE14).
“Sungai Kandis is PKR’s fort, but, nevertheless, they (Umno and Pas) can nominate a sole candidate,” he said yesterday.
Norman said the proposal to cooperate in the by-election should be considered by both parties.
Previously, state Pas information chief Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir, in his personal capacity, proposed for the party to cooperate with Umno in the Sungai Kandis byelection.
He said such a cooperation would strengthen the opposition’s voice and balance out Pakatan Harapan’s strength. In 2016, Pas Research Centre director Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki suggested that the party cooperate with Umno in GE14, reasoning that it would strengthen the voice of Islam.
The party’s Syura Council agreed to cooperate with any quarters when it came to strengthening Islam and its struggle.
The Sungai Kandis state seat fell vacant following the death of its three-term assemblyman, Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei, due to cancer at Subang Jaya Medical Centre on Monday.
In GE14, Mat Shuhaimi won the state seat in a four-cornered fight by obtaining 23,998 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Kamaruzzaman Johari (11,518), Pas’ Mohd Yusof Abdullah (7,573) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Hanafiah Husin (76).
In the general election, Selangor Pakatan Harapan won 51 state seats, BN (4) and Pas (one).