Pakatan Harapan is unfazed if PAS refuses to join its ‘big tent’ cooperation within the opposition bloc, which is meant to ensure a straight fight with BN in the upcoming general election.
Harapan vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said this is because PAS may not be comfortable being in the opposition’s big tent.
Instead, he said PAS may be more comfortable in the jungle, making friends with an assortment of wild animals including reptiles and simians.
“Let PAS be if it does not want (to join). Maybe PAS is more comfortable being friends with snakes, lizards and monkeys.
“PAS is uncomfortable in a tent. Maybe they are more interested in the jungle,” Salahuddin (above) told Malaysiakini.
The Amanah deputy president said this when asked to respond to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s comment that his party will not join Harapan’s big tent as there are “mice” and “cats” inside.
Yesterday, the head of the Islamist party took a jab at the idea of cooperating within Harapan’s big tent, stressing that PAS will not do so but will continue to defend the agenda of “Muslim unity” together with the biggest Muslim parties - Bersatu and Umno.
Aside from that, Hadi said they would also work with non-Muslim organisations, groups and parties that are not extreme.
“We do not want to join the tent because in the tent there are ‘mice’, ‘cats’, and all sorts. All of them are in there,” he added.
PAS-Umno fissure
Even though some PAS leaders have shown interest in continuing their cooperation within Muafakat Nasional, Umno - which is seen as the dominant party in the government - does not appear to be interested anymore.
The relationship between the two parties worsened recently with the emergence of the ‘PAS leaks’ document, which allegedly revealed a conspiracy against Umno.
The “leaked document” is a purported summary of meetings between PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, and other political figures from Bersatu, Pejuang, and Umno between March 24 and April 7.
According to the document, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin told the PAS leaders that “the attorney-general and chief justice have agreed to expedite the case and sentencing” of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Samsuri called the leaked document “rubbish” but conceded he did attend meetings with some of the Umno and Bersatu figures named in the document. - Mkini
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