Umno Perlis is preparing to contest all 15 state seats and three parliamentary constituencies in the state independently in the next election, with no formal discussions on cooperation currently taking place.
Perlis Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Rozabil Abd Rahman said the party had yet to hold any official talks with other political parties, including Perikatan Nasional (PN), at the state level.
He said the party was currently focused on strengthening its machinery across all constituencies after Umno failed to secure any seats in Perlis during the previous election.
“For Perlis, we have not held any discussions with any party, including PN. The aspiration of our members and the work being carried out is for us to continue preparing across all 15 state seats and three parliamentary constituencies,” he said.
Rozabil said this remained the party’s clear direction for now, adding that any decision on possible cooperation would ultimately be determined by the Umno leadership.
He acknowledged that certain parties had attempted to contact him for meetings, but said he considered it too early to discuss electoral cooperation as the party’s immediate priority was to strengthen its grassroots machinery.
“We are not trying to boast that we can win on our own. However, our preparations are being structured as though we will contest independently. The rest will be left to the party’s top leadership,” he said.
Rozabil also expressed confidence that Umno’s previous defeat in Perlis could be its last, claiming that current public sentiment and feedback indicated growing support for the party.
He criticised the PN state administration, claiming that it had yet to deliver significant development, particularly in terms of economic opportunities and employment for young people.
“People in Perlis gave PN the opportunity to govern, but so far, there has been little visible development, especially in terms of jobs and economic opportunities for young people,” he said.
At the same time, Rozabil acknowledged shortcomings during the previous Barisan Nasional administration but claimed there was a significant difference compared with the current state government.
He added that Umno’s election machinery, including the Wanita wing through its Jalinan Rakyat teams, had already been activated across polling districts as part of preparations for a possible election at any time.
