Opposition leader and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recalled the reformasi era when PAS supported the then opposition pact Barisan Alternatif.
Ironically, the reformasi movement was borne out of the feud between Wan Azizah's husband Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is now a member of the current opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan.
Wan Azizah said PAS, under the leadership of its late president Fadzil Noor, had supported the reformasi movement, resulting in the opposition making significant gains in the general election.
“In 1999, I saw the attitude of PAS under the late Fadzil Noor, (the opposition) received support when he backed the reformasi.
“During that period, PAS supported us and we got the highest (votes) in the general election. That is my comment. It is best we work together to topple BN,” she told reporters in Parliament.
She was responding to a question on several PAS divisions calling on the party to sever its ties with PKR, which is to be discussed during the Islamist party's annual meet or mukatamar next month.
The 1999 election was held in the wake of Mahathir sacking Anwar as deputy prime minister in September 1998 and the latter's subsequent imprisonment over charges, which he claimed were fabricated by the former prime minister.
However, Anwar and Mahathir have since buried the hatchet in their bid to defeat Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
PAS withdrew from Barisan Alternatif in 2001 after its leaders crossed swords with DAP over the Islamist party's theocratic goals.
A similar squabble led to PAS exiting Pakatan Rakyat, the predecessor of Harapan.- Mkini
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