PAS will not give up on a grand Malay-Muslim coalition despite challenges

 

PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the party will not abandon the idea of a grand Malay-Muslim coalition, despite the recent debacle faced by the Perikatan Nasional.

He said unity among Muslims is grounded in Islam, citing the failed PAS-UMNO-Bersatu alliance as a missed opportunity.

Revisiting the PAS-UMNO-Bersatu alliance pursued during the 15th General Election (GE15) to forge a united Malay-Muslim political force, he said these efforts will become increasingly challenging as long as divisions persist within the ummah (Muslim community).

While he acknowledged internal crises are common in politics, he said they must be resolved through faith-based unity.

He emphasised that partisan disputes harm the ummah and vowed PAS will continue pushing for cooperation.

“PAS believes that efforts to revive existing political cooperation will leave lasting effects and scars if they are not handled with wisdom.

“The experience of GE15 reflected a major aspiration to unite three main parties – PAS, UMNO and Bersatu – to form a Malay-Muslim political force.

“However, that effort did not succeed, as no consensus was reached among the parties involved,” he said in a Facebook post on Monday (Feb 16).

He said in the current situation, questions are being raised about whether there is still room to form a “grand Malay-Muslim umbrella” capable of uniting all parties willing to come under it.

He also said that internal turmoil and crises within an organisation are not unusual.

“The difference is that, for political parties, crises spread more easily because they are constantly under public scrutiny.” — Focus Malaysia