Bersatu was willing to meet PAS’s terms, says Muhyiddin’s ex-aide

 Marzuki Mohamad recounts the events that occurred before the PAS leadership's decision, including a planned meeting between Muhyiddin Yassin and Annuar Musa.

Marzuki Mohamad said the three conditions set by PAS to heal the relationship between the two parties were not too difficult for Bersatu to fulfill. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Bersatu had agreed to PAS’s terms before the Islamic party decided to end their political cooperation, says a former aide to party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Marzuki Mohamad said he had organised a meeting with Muhyiddin and PAS central committee member Annuar Musa last Thursday to discuss the issues causing rifts between the Perikatan Nasional allies.

He said Annuar mentioned that among the ways to resolve the conflict was allowing other Malay-Muslim parties to join PN and reconciling with the faction of former Bersatu leaders led by Hamzah Zainudin.

Hamzah, a former Bersatu deputy president, was sacked by the party in February at the height of a leadership tussle with Muhyiddin.

In a Facebook post today, Marzuki said Bersatu had no qualms with accepting new parties into PN.

He pointed out that Muhyiddin was the first to get them together through his loose Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat coalition.

“The other matter raised was the need for Bersatu to reconcile with the ‘Reset’ group. I told Annuar that the wounds were still fresh, but time would heal them. Give us some time.

“However, if this matter is the key to resolving the conflict, Bersatu was ready to discuss it for the sake of preserving PN’s interests,” he said.

Marzuki said PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan then sent a letter on June 6 setting three conditions to repair the relationship – clearing Bersatu’s negative perception of PAS, accepting other parties into PN, and reconciling with Hamzah’s faction.

He said he was relieved by Takiyuddin’s letter as it was not far from what Annuar told them, adding that the terms were agreeable.

However, he said, Muhyiddin and him wanted it to be brought to the Bersatu Supreme Council for discussion first as part of the party’s procedures.

“The following day, Muhyiddin replied to Takiyuddin’s letter stating Bersatu’s readiness to consider PAS’s conditions when the Bersatu Supreme Council convened.

“I was asked by Takiyuddin to hand the letter to a friend from PAS, who would pass it on to Takiyuddin. In that brief meeting, I hinted that all three conditions are not too difficult for Bersatu to fulfill.

“However, the next day, PAS’s central committee decided to sever ties with Bersatu,” he said.

On Monday night, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the party decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu, which he previously accused of straining ties between both parties.

Hadi said PAS will instead explore forming a new political pact to face the upcoming state elections and the next general election, with the goal of “uniting the ummah”.

Nonetheless, PAS remains a component of PN along with Bersatu, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party. - FMT