PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man rejects Umno’s call for an early Terengganu state election, stating polls should not measure political sincerity.
PETALING JAYA: PAS has rejected Umno’s call for a state election in Terengganu to test the sincerity of their political cooperation, saying elections should not be used as a measure of trust between parties.
PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said there was no reason to dissolve the Terengganu legislative assembly as the state government remains stable.
“An election is not a tool to measure the sincerity of political cooperation. It is a mandate from the people.”
He added that voters should not be subjected to the political pressure and cost of an election when there was no compelling reason for one.
Tuan Ibrahim was responding to Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who proposed that one of the four SG4 states hold an election to test the party’s commitment to Malay unity and cooperation with Umno.
“Let us try to see how sincere our friends are. We ask one of their states to hold an election. You hold an election, I want to see what formula you use. Do it in Terengganu,” Mohamad said in his winding-up speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly yesterday.
He said such an exercise would show whether both sides were genuinely prepared to work together rather than merely seeking political advantage.
“If you are sincere, then let us do it together. If you want to follow the plan, one for you, one for me.”
Tuan Ibrahim said the formula used in Negeri Sembilan, in which parties retained seats they had won while negotiating over seats they had not, offered a better model for cooperation.
He added that the previous state elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan were held because circumstances warranted them or their terms had matured.
He also said dissolving Parliament would be more appropriate if a fresh national mandate was needed.
Umno was wiped out in the 2023 Terengganu state election, winning none of the 32 state seats.
It also lost all eight parliamentary constituencies in the state in the 2022 general election.
Umno Kuala Nerus division chief and former Terengganu menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman has also urged party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to tread carefully in negotiations with PAS.
“Think carefully, Datuk Seri. Otherwise, we may end up with 40-0 again,” he said, adding that any deal must ensure both sides benefit.
