Married? We're still flirting, PAS says on ties with Umno

Just over a week after acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan described his party's formalisation of ties with PAS as a "wedding ceremony," Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah is painting a different picture.

According to the PAS vice-president, both parties are still at the "flirting" stage, making it too soon to discuss coalition governments in the four opposition-held states, as Mohamad recently proposed.

"Now is too early to form coalition governments, since the relationship between PAS and Umno is not even at the 'proposal' stage yet. We are still flirting.

"For now, our party needs to concentrate on being a better, more effective opposition," Amar, who is deputy Kelantan menteri besar, told a press conference after chairing a state executive council meeting in Kota Bharu today.

Mohamad recently suggested that PAS and Umno form coalition governments in PAS-led Kelantan and Terengganu, as well as in BN-led Pahang and Perlis.

However, Amar said the existing state governments in the four states should be left to run their elected terms, without being pushed into coalition governments.

The PAS leader added that Mohamad's proposal was merely his personal wish and not something that was discussed between the two parties.

While announcing the formalisation of Umno's ties with PAS on March 5, Mohamad described it as a "wedding ceremony" and said that the alliance is founded on the agenda of uniting the ummah (community).

"This (cooperation) started long ago. First, we sent the 'engagement ring' at Sungai Kandis, then we got 'engaged' in Seri Setia.

"And today, this is our 'wedding ceremony'. It is formal, that is why we are doing (announcing) it like this.

"It is official. We are married,"  Mohamad had quipped.  - Mkini