PAS candidate Dr Halimah Ali, who lost the Seri Setia by-election yesterday, said she could have gotten more votes if Umno's top leaders had joined the campaign.

However, she admitted cooperation between the two former nemeses was still in its infancy, like a couple introduced for marriage who are still just getting to know each other.

“Perhaps (we could have gotten more votes). But we have just been introduced to each other like in a prospective marriage union.

“We have just been introduced to each other in the past three weeks, we are just finding out if we are okay with each other or not, after 60 years of enmity.

“Suddenly in these three weeks we want to cheer each other on,” she said at a press conference in Shah Alam today.

Read more: Hadi still played a role though absent in Seri Setia - Halimah

In the twin by-elections for Seri Setia and Balakong yesterday, BN and PAS for the first time openly declared support for each other's campaigns.

BN gave way to PAS to engage in a straight fight with Harapan, while PAS returned the favour by staying out of Balakong so MCA would take on Harapan.

Despite the pact, Halimah lost to Pakatan Harapan's Halimey Abu Bakar by a 4,027-vote margin, with a voter turnout of just 44.1 percent.

MCA also lost to Harapan and just managed to keep from losing their deposit, which they did in the 14th general election.

PAS took comfort with having increased their vote share from 10.39 percent in the May 9 polls to 41.4 percent in this by-election.

Halimah received 9,698 votes, while in the 14th general election PAS received 4,563 and Umno 9,878.

The campaign saw Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi showing up at a PAS ceramah to throw support behind the PAS candidate.

Fools rush in

Taking a subtle swipe at Harapan, Halimah said her party was approaching cooperation with others “cautiously,” unlike other parties that she did not name. 

“PAS is being extra careful in cooperating with others, and not opportunistic like some others, who can quarrel until someone lands in jail, but in the end can sit together and praise each other,” she said.

“But we are not like that, we look at it and assess it first and will not rush headlong into it. That's why it will take time.”

Halimah added as an opposition front, PAS and Umno should not be fighting each other.

“It's true we used to fight, but now we know to be a strong opposition, we can longer fight each other.

“It's not necessary to agree on everything, but we don't need to fight on everything, that's professional logic,” said the former Selangor exco.

When asked what the next step was for more concrete plans with Umno, she said this will be discussed next week in Terengganu at the party muktamar.

Noting Zahid's promise for all Umno top leaders to attend the PAS general meeting, Halimah said it would be a good start for their cooperation.