Deputy Kelantan MB: Umno could be 'gov't-friendly opposition'

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdulah said PAS will not form a unity government with Umno in the state.

Instead, he believed that Umno will likely serve as "government-friendly" opposition lawmakers.

"Umno is still the opposition and we (PAS) are the government. Bersatu is part of the opposition too. There is no coalition government (in Kelantan)," he said yesterday in Kota Bharu, according to Bernama.

Mohd Amar said cooperation between PAS and Umno was only limited to joint by-election campaigns and serving as the opposition in Parliament.

Currently, there are 37 PAS lawmakers in the Kelantan assembly followed by Umno (seven) and Bersatu (one).

This means that should PAS admit Umno into a coalition government, the Kelantan assembly will have only one opposition member.

So far this year, PAS and Umno have collaborated in two by-election campaigns - Cameron Highlands and Semenyih – in which PAS supporters followed instructions by their party leaders to vote for the Umno/BN candidate.

On March 9, Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan had called for coalition governments with PAS in four opposition states.

Umno governs Pahang and Perlis, while PAS holds Terengganu and Kelantan.

Mohamad said these administrations would be dubbed as "united ummah (community) governments."

He said the matter was raised during a technical committee meeting between the two parties recently, and is being discussed.  - Mkini