UMNO to Proceed with ‘Rumah Bangsa’ Secretariat Despite PAS Rejection

KUALA LUMPUR – UMNO has announced its intention to move forward with the establishment of the ‘Rumah Bangsa’ Secretariat, even if PAS declines to participate in the initiative aimed at unifying Malay-Muslim political parties.

Terengganu UMNO Chairman, Datuk Rozi Mamat, stated that the proposal follows the vision laid out by UMNO President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The primary goal of the secretariat is to create a platform that addresses the concerns of the Malay community at the grassroots level, who are increasingly worried about political fragmentation.

“In the current context, we have various Malay-based parties including PAS, PKR, and Amanah. At this preliminary stage, the UMNO President is simply opening the doors toward unity to reduce public anxiety,” Rozi told reporters following a media event on Sunday.

Focus on Dialogue, Not Coalitions

Rozi clarified that the current objective is to foster discussion rather than to immediately negotiate political coalitions or the division of electoral seats. He noted that earlier reports regarding the division of seats had been misinterpreted on social media.

“We cannot jump to step five before completing step one. This is a progressive process that begins with establishing a special committee or secretariat for dialogue. Talking about seat distribution at this stage would only complicate matters,” he explained.

While Amanah has shown openness to the discourse, PAS has publicly rejected the proposal. Rozi emphasized that PAS’s decision is within its rights and does not hinder UMNO’s plan to proceed.

Grassroots Unification

The concept of ‘Rumah Bangsa’ (House of the Nation) was first introduced by Ahmad Zahid during his presidential address at the 2025 UMNO General Assembly. The initiative seeks to bring together individuals or groups, either individually or en-bloc, to strengthen Malay-Muslim political representation.

Rozi added that the specific functions and roles of the secretariat will be finalized soon. For now, UMNO will continue its internal preparations while awaiting final instructions from the party leadership.