UMNO plans mass gathering to strengthen ties with PAS

UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has mandated UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Dr. Muhamad Akmal Saleh to organize the ‘Himpunan Perpaduan Ummah’, a mass gathering aiming to unite up to one million Muslims. The initiative is intended to strengthen political understanding between UMNO and PAS through a series of state-level roadshows before a central climax.

Zahid Hamidi suggested that initial gatherings should take place in states governed by PAS, such as Terengganu, Kelantan, and Kedah, to test the level of political understanding between the two parties. This move aligns with views from UMNO Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who emphasized the need to gauge the sincerity of PAS in forming a political understanding ahead of future elections.

Mohamad Hasan further noted that political cooperation strategies must be tailored to the specific conditions of each state, stating that ‘there’s no one size fits all’ approach. He clarified that while state-level discussions regarding political alliances can occur, all negotiations must be reported to the party headquarters for review.