Incestuous - PAS chief shoots down 'marriage' with Umno

Two weeks after Umno likened the formalisation of its cooperation with PAS as their "wedding ceremony", the Islamist party's chief said such a union would be incestuous.

In fact, the relationship between the two parties is more like that between siblings, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said during a public discourse programme on Malay unity at Universiti Malaya Alumni Association's Clubhouse in Kuala Lumpur last night.

"We see how political parties that are anti-Islam in this country are extremely worried about Umno-PAS reunion, claiming it would turn Malaysia into a Taliban state and so on, and there are those who say PAS has got married to Umno.

"I say PAS cannot get married to Umno. How are siblings supposed to get married? Even if they do, then it would be incestuous," Hadi said.

In a press conference to announce the formalisation of the ties between Umno and PAS, acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan described the union as their "wedding ceremony."

Bersatu supreme council member Rais Hussin had called the relationship "incestuous", while PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah had also downplayed Mohamad's analogy, saying both parties are still at the "flirting" stage and nowhere near discussing the possibility of forming coalition governments in the four opposition-held states.

On another matter, Hadi said that although the federal government is led by Pakatan Harapan, the Malay Muslims still held the biggest political power, as they hold 130 of the 222 parliamentary seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

"We realise that Malay Muslim MPs are still the majority. If you add on all the seats won by the Malay Muslims in Parliament, be it from Harapan, or the opposition, Islam is still the majority.

"If united, the Muslims can set their own political agenda. I don't mean to be a racial fanatic, but a Muslim must be the one leading the country," Hadi said. - Mkini