Kuala Lampur, Oct. 11 -- Malaysian politics has entered a phase where political cooperation is increasingly determined by institutional survival, constitutional legitimacy and the capacity to govern.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the troubled relationship between the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).

Both claim to represent Malay-Muslim interests.

Yet their competing ambitions, institutional predicaments and contrasting political priorities make durable cooperation exceedingly difficult.

Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Umno have demonstrated that cooperation under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government can produce tangible outcomes, including a 2027 Budget approaching hal...