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SHAH ALAM - Umno's decision to invite Pas leaders to its 2026 General Assembly signals that the Islamist party and Perikatan Nasional (PN) have emerged as the party's preferred political partners heading into the 16th General Election (GE16), according to a political analyst.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mazlan Ali said a renewed consensus among Malay-Muslim parties could generate stronger support among Malay voters and help secure more parliamentary seats at the next general election.
"This reflects a new political direction being considered by Umno," he said.
Mazlan said the move also sends a message to Pakatan Harapan (PH) that Umno is dissatisfied with recent developments within the unity government, including investigations involving several Umno leaders by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and issues surrounding Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He noted that while cooperation between Umno and Pas has not disrupted the unity government, trust between Umno and PH appears to be diminishing.
"Nevertheless, Barisan Nasional is expected to remain in the unity government until the end of the current term," he said.
According to Mazlan, recent political developments suggest that both Umno and Pas are seeking to strengthen ties and explore cooperation ahead of GE16.
However, he cautioned that any political realignment remains far from settled.
"Pas has recently indicated that it wants the prime minister's post to be held by a Pas leader, while all seats won by the party over the past 15 years will continue to be defended.
"This raises questions about Umno's prospects in the four Pas-controlled states and how any future cooperation would be structured," he said.
Mazlan's comments came amid questions over Umno's decision not to invite PH leaders to its upcoming General Assembly.
Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) chief Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim said the guest list for Umno's assembly was entirely the party's prerogative.
He said coalition partners should respect each other's autonomy, maintain professional boundaries and focus on delivering reforms and policies rather than debating convention protocols.
"The strength of the unity government lies in mutual trust, honouring commitments and delivering results for the rakyat, not in who attends party assemblies," he said.
Earlier, Zahid confirmed that PH component parties were not invited to the assembly. He said Umno had instead extended an invitation to Pas leaders as a reciprocal gesture after Pas invited Umno to attend its recent muktamar.
Zahid stressed that the move was driven by efforts to promote Malay unity and internal party considerations and should not be interpreted as a shift in the political direction of the unity government.
