Cajole Umno, write 10 letters if needed, says PAS veteran

 

A motion on uniting Malay-Muslim political parties was unanimously adopted by the PAS muktamar.

PETALING JAYA: A veteran PAS member has urged the party to continue wooing Umno to restore political cooperation ahead of the coming general election.

Taiping delegate Mahjube Hanafi said efforts to unify Malay and Muslim voters must continue, as a strong bond had already been fostered among grassroots members of PAS and Umno over the years.

Such ties were now at their strongest level, he said at the party’s general assembly.

“We must admit that Umno and its votes are important to strengthen Malay and Muslim politics in the country. PAS should not forget Umno, as they will determine the outcome of GE15,” he said.

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“We should continue writing to Umno to be with us during GE15 to ensure one-on-one fights.

“We should write 10 letters to Umno, if needed, for the sake of uniting the ummah,” he said during a debate on a motion on unity of Malay-Muslim groups, including Malay-Muslim political parties.

The motion, tabled by another veteran member, Roslan Md Esa, was later unanimously approved by the muktamar.

On Thursday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said it was time for the party to move forward without PAS, seemingly shutting the door on any further collaboration with the Islamic party through Muafakat Nasional, the political pact the two parties forged in 2019.

He was responding to PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who said the two parties had never declared the alliance to be dead.

Zahid said his party had decided to go solo because of PAS’ antics, adding that “PAS themselves were always playing safe and were in bed with many partners”.

PAS is one of the five component parties in Perikatan Nasional, which is headed by Umno splinter party Bersatu.

‘PAS must unite all parties’

Tenggara delegate Nazari Mokhtar said PAS should unite not just Malay-Muslim parties but other non-Muslim parties as well.

“We should open ourselves (to others) as Islam is for all. We need to unite all. We should be open to all, not just Malay and Muslim bases. PAS must be seen as a hero that unites political parties again,” he said.

“PAS for all” was a slogan adopted for the 2008 general election.

At the general assembly, seven motions were debated and approved, while six were accepted without debate. - FMT