For Perikatan to survive, Umno has to get what it wants: analysts
Any hope of keeping the Umno, Bersatu and PAS alliance alive, which will be key to Perikatan Nasional (PN) retaining federal power, will hinge on whether the former’s demands on seat allocation are met, said political observers.
(MalaysiaNow) – They said Umno is unlikely to buckle unless it gets what it wants, with the party seemingly on the cusp of resorting to pulling out support from the coalition, having previously said it will contest no less than 96 seats, including the 54 it won in 2018.
But whether Bersatu and PAS will allow the largest Malay-based party in the country to have everything its way is yet to be seen.
As it stands, Bersatu and PAS are stuck in a conundrum – whether to give in to Umno’s demands and have a higher chance of remaining in Putrajaya, or to stake their claim on seats they believe are theirs, in defiance of Umno.
Universiti Malaya academician Prof Awang Azman Awang Pawi said this will be the pact’s biggest sore point and challenge heading into the 15th general election (GE15).
