Three senior PAS leaders reject cooperation with Umno

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak (left) and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang at the Al Azhar University alumni gathering last week. Three top leaders refute reports saying that the meeting was a sign of closer ties and cooperation between the two Malay-Muslim parties. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 23, 2015.Three senior PAS leader have spoken up against attempts to bring the Islamist party closer to Umno despite moves to do so by their party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Be it cooperating or merging with the Malay nationalist party, the three are against a “wave” in PAS that wants closer ties with Umno.

The first is PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (pic, left), who strongly rejected cooperation and stressed that there will be no merger between PAS and Umno.

Tuan Ibrahim’s statement was supported by vice-president and Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad.

Another party vice-president, Idris Ahmad, echoed the sentiment and stated bluntly that any PAS leader or member who wants to merge with Umno should be kicked out.

“It has gone viral on social and mainstream media that PAS wants to merge with Umno.

“I would like to stress that PAS is an organisation from the level of the Syura Council, PAS Central Committee to the muktamar (assembly).

“Personal opinion cannot be used. If any individual wants to merge or wants Umno, then only the person should go,” said the Bukit Gantang MP in a statement recently.

Idris did not indicate who he was referring to.

Is it Hadi, who had donned the same coloured Malay traditional outfit as Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak at a recent Al Azhar University alumni gathering?

Or is Idris referring to the people who are masterminding the cooperation between Umno and PAS?

Idris’s statement was in the same tone as that of the party's iconic former
spiritual leader, the late Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who would always get upset over attempts to work with Umno.

“Umno has to get rid of nationalism and accept Islam first. I said this for a very long time. If Umno people come to PAS I will spit in their faces. If you want to unite, get rid off the nationalism and embrace the spirit of Islam....” Nik Aziz was reported as saying by Umno mouthpiece Utusan Online on May 8, 2013.

From the beginning, Tuan Ibrahim who happens to be the nephew of Nik Aziz’s wife, was uncomfortable with the idea of cooperating with Umno.

He has strongly denied media reports quoting him as accepting cooperation between PAS and Umno following the Najib-Hadi meet.

"PAS will never merge with Umno. At this time, PAS is already planning a strategy to defend the Kelantan government, and to take over the Terengganu government and the 10 state seats in Selangor that were won by Umno.

“This will add more seats in Parliament to fight against Umno,” Tuan Ibrahim said on December 14, denying an earlier report that he had agreed to talk of cooperation between the two parties.

Tuan Ibrahim also said PAS did not want to be responsible for Umno’s betrayal to Islam.

He said that for more than 50 years, the country was never run by Islamic law. Usury, corruption and vices were also prevalent in society and are infecting the youth.

Iskandar, who is also a Selangor state executive committee member, said that Umno’s wrongs towards PAS were too serious to be forgiven by the party's grassroots.

- TMI