UMNO and PAS are now working to return Najib Razak to power and to whitewash all criminal allegations against him, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
In a post on his personal blog, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman said PH is not worried about the formalisation of PAS-Umno cooperation, which was sealed yesterday with the forming of technical committees to study further collaboration.
“PH is not worried looking at PAS’ alliance with Umno. It provides many issues and opportunities to uncover the lies of both parties,” he said.
He questioned if PAS is now declaring Najib innocent despite the corruption charges brought against him.
“In the name of uniting Muslims and Islam, have bribery, abuse of power and crimes been legitimised?”
He also questioned if PAS would accept Najib as a leader even if the court were to find him guilty.
“Isn’t PAS aware that many Umno members have left Umno because the party has become a kleptocracy and is no longer democratic.”
Dr Mahathir also questioned the past positions PAS had taken against Umno and whether they were relevant now.
“PAS once declared Umno as infidels. It has never withdrawn that ‘fatwa’. Now, is PAS Islamising Umno?”
Dr Mahathir also recalled how PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had issued a decree, also known as “Amanat Hadi” in the 1980s to declare that Umno was a “secular and infidel” government.
He said Hadi’s decree had led to deep divisions within the Muslim community to the extent that PAS members could not pray in the same mosque as Umno supporters; they could not eat food prepared by Umno people; they could not marry their children to children of Umno supporters, and they had to prevent their wives from voting for Umno.
“Are all these restrictions and practices now withdrawn?”
Dr Mahathir reiterated that PAS leaders had come to meet him and had submitted a document stating their support for him as prime minister.
But he said they had reneged on their pledge not to support BN in the recent Semenyih by-election .
“Is this the kind of promises PAS makes?” he said.
Earlier today, BN secretary-general Nazri Abdul Aziz also declared the end of BN’s multicultural spirit after PAS and Umno formalised their cooperation yesterday.
Dr Mahathir had led Umno and BN during his first tenure as prime minister from 1981 to 2003. – the malaysian insight
Lim calls Umno-PAS union a declaration of ‘war’ on non-Malays
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has likened Umno and PAS solidifying their political cooperation to a declaration of “war” on non-Malays in the name of Malay unity.
In a statement today, Lim said that the move signalled the end of the ‘1Malaysia’ concept propagated by the previous BN administration, as Umno doubled down on the rhetoric of race and religion in recent by-elections.
He added that this was an attempt to portray Malays as marginalised in a bid to covet conservative right-wing support.
“The Umno-PAS union started with PAS supporting the BN direct candidate (Ramli Mohd Nor) in the Cameron Highlands by-election, and progressed with the Youth wings of Umno and PAS cooperating in the Semenyih by-election.
“The flirtation between Umno and PAS is over. Now they are all out to declare war against non-Malays and non-Muslims under the banner of ‘Malay unity’,” his statement read.
‘Quit BN now’
Lim cited Umno and PAS repeating the line that the government was controlled by non-Malays and non-Muslims as an example of both parties’ alleged attempts to sow discord among different ethnic groups.
He also accused BN component parties MCA and MIC of complicity, with both treating PAS as “comrades.”
As the Umno-PAS union is now a political fact, he said, MCA should quit BN to prevent aiding the oppression of non-Malays and non-Muslims.
“If MCA is sincerely protesting against Umno and PAS’ racial and religious extremism, they should quit BN immediately and cut ties with BN, Umno and PAS. This will distance and isolate the extremist party.
“This will also help MCA, who failed to dissolve BN, be accountable to the people, and not be complicit in Umno and PAS eliminating the basic rights of non-Malays and non-Muslims.”
‘Abandon racism’
Lim, the finance minister, said that politics, economy and education should not be a zero-sum game among different ethnic groups.
“As Malaysia wishes to be a truly modern country, other than clean governance and the smart handling of finances, we also need to abandon racism.
“With all people united, then we can enjoy the shared fruits of the Malaysian economy.”
Yesterday, Umno and PAS today announced the formalisation of their ties, which acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan described as their “wedding ceremony.”
After a two-hour meeting between top leaders in Kuala Lumpur, Mohamad and PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that their parties will now move towards a “more formal” working relationship.
Both said that their cooperation is founded on the agenda of uniting the ummah (community). – mkini
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MKINI
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