PAS rejects Umno proposal for early Terengganu state election

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has rejected a proposal by Umno to hold an early state election in Terengganu. The proposal, made by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan during the Umno General Assembly, suggested that an election in the PAS-led state would serve as a test of the sincerity of political cooperation and commitment to Malay unity.

Tuan Ibrahim argued that elections should not be used as a tool to measure political trust or sincerity between parties. He stated that the Terengganu state government remains stable and that voters should not be subjected to the unnecessary costs and political pressure of an election without a compelling reason. He suggested that if a fresh mandate were required, dissolving Parliament for a national election would be more appropriate.

The tension follows the 2023 Terengganu state election, where Perikatan Nasional achieved a clean sweep of all 32 seats, leaving Umno without any representation in the state. Mohamad Hasan had proposed that if the parties could agree on a seat negotiation formula in Terengganu, it could serve as a model for future cooperation.