KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11): An Umno delegate from Perak has raised concerns that cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) could weaken Umno’s political position in some northern and East Coast states.

Muhammad Iqbal Jamal, deputy chief of the Ipoh Barat Umno division, said PAS, the linchpin of PN, supports allowing current incumbents to defend their seats.

If Umno agrees to this arrangement, it could mean Umno does not contest in Perlis, Kedah and Terengganu, where it currently holds no state or parliamentary seats.

In Perak, Umno would only be able to contest and defend nine of the state’s 59 seats under such an arrangement, he said, adding that the party’s 13 divisions in the state could effectively “shut down” their war rooms.

Barisan Nasional, a component of the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan, has recently shifted towards greater cooperation with PN.

The shift became clear after BN’s strong victory in Johor, followed by BN and PN working together in the Negeri Sembilan state election under the “penyatuan ummah” (Malay-Muslim unity) banner, known as the “blue wave”.

Muhammad Iqbal said he supported Taa’awun Siyasi (political cooperation) to unite Muslims, but stressed that the party leadership must also consider Umno’s own political survival.

“This needs to be studied in greater detail. There must be discussions. We need to sit down together and explain what is good and what is bad, and where the fairness lies,” he said.

Muhammad Iqbal said Umno could not afford to focus only on areas where it remained strong, such as Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, while allowing its position in the northern states to weaken further.

Separately, Datuk Dr Fathul Bari Mat Jahya of the Umno Kangar division also called on the party leadership to put the party’s interests and survival first in any political negotiations.

He cited Umno’s experience of being betrayed during its previous cooperation with Bersatu and PAS, and urged the party not to take future political cooperation lightly, saying any agreements reached should be formally documented to protect Umno’s interests.

“This is Umno’s right to survival, our right. We have the right to demand what is ours. This is fair,” he said.

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