Umno Kedah to Open Talks with PAS, Excludes New ‘Cat Party’ in PN

At the UMNO 2026 General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur’s World Trade Centre, Shaiful Hazizy Zainal Abidin declared that Umno Kedah will initiate informal talks with PAS, while refusing to negotiate with the newly established “cat party” that exists within the PN coalition. He explained that the phrase mirrors language used by PAS election chief Sanusi Nor, who earlier warned PAS not to cede potential seats to other parties and to stop feeling inferior in coalition talks.

Sanusi did not name any specific party. In a related comment, Deputy President Mohamad Hasan told reporters that Umno Kedah retains full freedom to conduct any state-level discussions, but any agreements must be forwarded to the central office for scrutiny. The statements reflect internal strategic positioning ahead of upcoming elections.