PH, Umno top leaders strive to show unity but bad blood on open display at state level

The relationship between Umno and Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the state and grassroots levels appears to be a far cry from the picture of unity painted by their top leaders at the federal level.

No love seems to have been gained or lost since the hung parliament after the 2022 general election which saw the long-time foes joining forces to stop Perikatan Nasional from coming to power.

Conversations by MalaysiaNow with grassroots leaders in Umno revealed growing discontent over the perception that they are being sidelined in the distribution of local positions – a possible sign that the hopes of an electoral alliance harboured by those aligned with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the next nationwide polls may be a distant dream.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Terengganu, where Umno was crushed at last year's state election.

Today, party leaders feel overlooked in terms of local government representation while others say they are being bullied.

At the heart of the problem is PH's demand that Umno part with more than 1,600 positions in the Federal Village Development and Security Committee (JPKKP), the body under the rural and regional development ministry led by Zahid which acts as Putrajaya's arm in opposition states.

"Imagine, how are we supposed to hand over these positions when they don't even have a grassroots presence in this state?

"Why do they want these posts?" said Terengganu Umno information secretary Mohd Supian Museri.

Supian claimed that PH was after the posts of JPKKP chairmen, which come with a monthly allowance of RM900, while Umno had been told to settle for the secretary posts with an allowance of RM300.

But he said there was no way that Umno would give up the positions.

Giving the example of Kemaman, he said it was "not possible".

"The branch heads would make noise because they want positions despite not having any machinery here," he added.

Supian also named a senior Amanah leader in Terengganu as the person putting pressure on Umno to make concessions to PH.

"He has sent a memo on the matter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, but so far there has been no development," he said.

There have been similar tensions in Selangor, where Umno decided earlier this year to reject the offer by the PH-led state government of local council seats, and to vacate 75 village head positions under the Village Community Management Council.

A common complaint from Umno leaders is that PH has been ditching Umno in matters involving the local authorities.

Selangor Umno information chief Mohd Zaidi Md Zain said although the party had handed over the local council seats to PH, it should still be involved in the decision-making process "in the spirit of the unity government".

He said Umno's move to give up these seats had been made in the same spirit of "friendship".

"But at least, Umno should be included in the programmes. That has not been the case," he added.

He said Umno had also been kept in the dark about what was happening at the municipal level "because the discussions only concern them (PH)".

Zaidi, the Bangi Umno chief, said his division recently passed a motion on the matter, urging the central party leadership to reconsider its cooperation with PH.

"This cooperation only involves the top leadership. It is not felt at the lower levels. Central Umno has to come up with something," he said.