Shah Alam Umno chief Azhari Shaari said he had not received any instructions from the party to start groundwork with PH ahead of the polls, which must be held after June.

He said that without official instructions from party leaders, a technical committee, which would allow both parties to discuss their plans for political activities in Shah Alam, could not be formed.

“For the time being, the cooperation is more on the individual level, involving leaders of both sides,” Azhari told FMT.

Ampang Umno chief Nadzim Ibrahim said BN-PH cooperation in the division only involved attending programmes held by the coalitions during Ramadan.

“So far, the cooperation is good. We are still planning joint political programmes, but we require official instructions from the top Umno leadership to go ahead,” he said.

However, Sepang Umno chief Noorazli Said said PH and Umno had started working together in his division and exchanging information to reach out to voters.

Noorazli said there was some misunderstanding at the grassroots level at first, but after explanation and holding several joint programmes, Umno members in Sepang were beginning to accept their PH counterparts.

FMT has reached out to Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and his PH counterpart, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, for confirmation on whether both sides have issued official instructions for their grassroots to cooperate ahead of the state election.

Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah will also hold state elections after the terms of their legislative assemblies end in June.

In February, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook admitted that DAP and PH grassroots members had not adjusted well to working with BN at the grassroots level.