Hadi doubles down after Malacca setback, rejects Umno-PAS under Muafakat

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has doubled down on his position to side with Bersatu under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner despite setbacks faced by the coalition in last Saturday's Malacca polls where it won only two of 28 seats.

Abdul Hadi is seeking a grand coalition of Malay parties which include Umno, PAS and Bersatu, a proposition which Umno rejects as it wants to see an end to its splinter party Bersatu.

"PAS upholds the concept of unity in accordance with the Islamic perspective, which is the unity of Muslims, and also the unity amongst diverse people, including non-Muslims.

"Therefore, PAS rejects Muafakat Nasional which only involves Umno and PAS. PAS also rejects the ideology that denies the existence of diverse communities which needs to be addressed through a wider coalition which is PN," he said in a statement on Facebook.

Abdul Hadi said Muafakat Nasional was "incomplete" and would be made complete with PN.

He added that Umno, too, had in the past evolved in a similar way where it started off as a Malay movement and subsequently became Umno and later formed the Alliance with MCA and MIC before expanding further with parties from East Malaysia.

"Muafakat is incomplete, therefore PN is needed to make it complete.

"PAS will not be dragged into any other ideologies. PAS will only operate based on the concept of Islam which is clear. PAS can build this nation according to the mould of Islam and is not merely a stepping stone. PAS does not need sympathy like a beggar," he said.

Changes in allegiance

Muafakat Nasional was a charter inked between Umno and PAS in 2019 with the intention of forming an alliance for the 15th general election.

However, PAS swung in favour of an alliance with Umno's splinter Bersatu after the latter ousted Pakatan Harapan from the government.

This prompted Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin to describe Muafakat's existence as being "in name" only.

In last Saturday's Malacca polls, Bersatu picked up two seats under the PN banner, while PAS won none.

BN swept 21 seats, with Umno contributing 18, MCA two and MIC one. Harapan won five, with DAP picking up four, Amanah took one, while PKR ended up without a seat.

Abdul Hadi, in doubling down on his position, suggest that a similar clash between BN, PN and Harapan will be likely in the 15th general election.

An Umno-PAS alliance is popular among PAS grassroots, but Abdul Hadi has adamantly steered his party towards Bersatu. - Mkini