Zahid calls PAS two-faced, says Umno wants loyal friends

 

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi rejects PAS as a partner, while Ahmad Maslan says Muafakat Nasional is not dead, though “not well-nourished”.

PETALING JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, describing PAS as “two-faced” and indecisive, has again dismissed the possibility of working with the party at the next general election as partners in the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact.

Zahid accused PAS of often changing its opinion on various matters, and said Umno did not want to be friends with parties that did not have a consistent stand in its actions.

“We want friends who are loyal and that loyalty must not just be in words but in terms of actions and decisions,” he said, according to Berita Harian.

Umno and PAS leaders have been at odds for a year over the future of the MN alliance, which had been formed in 2019 by the two major Malay-Muslim parties to challenge Pakatan Harapan, then in power.

However, Zahid and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang later disagreed about whether to accept Bersatu into the alliance.

Zahid has often spoken against reviving the alliance, while PAS leaders have tried to keep MN alive. PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said yesterday MN was the best formula to unite the Muslim ummah.

“That’s PAS’s opinion,” Zahid said in response. “From early on, that has been our stand, but they have shown their two-faced attitude.” He reiterated that the best strategy for Umno was for Barisan Nasional to go solo at GE15.

Separately, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said MN was not dead yet. However, he acknowledged that the alliance was “not well-nourished”, especially after the Melaka and Johor elections.

PAS contested against Umno-BN as part of Perikatan Nasional (PN), with Bersatu and Gerakan, to little success. In both states, the Umno-led BN stormed to strong victories.

Ahmad said Umno’s Supreme Council had not even discussed MN recently and whether to revitalise its pact with PAS. Once a final decision had been made by the top leadership, every state chapter should fall in line.

Umno is set to clash with PAS in Terengganu at the general election, but the two parties might work hand-in-hand under MN in Selangor. Last week, Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar said the two parties had decided to cooperate in Selangor through MN, with the Islamic party said to be snubbing PN in the state. - FMT