Hadi firmly quashes unity talk between PAS, Umno

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

June 03, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has put an end to any question of the party leaving Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for Umno despite whispers of unity talks between the Malay parties emerging early this year.

Abdul Hadi said PAS must end Umno’s culture of dirty politics as the party did not stand for Islam or the Malay community because the party only wants to retain power at any cost.

“We clean our country’s politics into something that is very important in life of the people and specifically the Muslim community.

"We clean it from the dirty political behaviour, slander and racial intolerance practised by Umno and Barisan Nasional,” he said when opening his party’s 57th muktamar or annual congress today.

Abdul Hadi (picture)stressed that the difference between PAS in PR and Umno in Barisan Nasional (BN) was that the latter sacrifices Islamic principles.

“Umno has created a flock of Malays and Muslims who are blind and deaf to money politics, with entertainment and media used to turn Malays and Muslims stupid,” he said.

The party president added PAS with PR will move to reform agendas by bringing a paradigm shift in the country’s administration.

“PAS also vows to correct the erroneous concept of federalism practised by Umno and Barisan Nasional especially strengthening the spirit of federalism between the states especially Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Abdul Hadi also condemned Umno religious scholars who did not understand basic Islamic jurisprudence.

“There are many that still do not understand politics in Islamic jurisprudence and there are those who support Umno and Barisan Nasional because they cannot translate the teachings of Islam to the current political situation,” he said.

The subject of unity talks between PAS and Umno had dominated the 2009 PAS muktamar, which saw a number of leaders keen on exploring talks with Umno emerging big winners.

More recently, the top PAS and Umno leadership met at a Christmas Eve dinner hosted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year, during which the subject of Malay unity was once again broached.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider the move then to bring PAS into the BN entailed both Abdul Hadi and his deputy Nasharuddin Mat Isa being given a prominent role in Putrajaya if the party decides to abandon PR, but spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat continued to be the major obstacle in bringing PAS closer to the ruling coalition.

Following the furore over the Christmas Eve meet, Abdul Hadi had reassured partners in PR that the Islamist party was committed to remaining in the pact.