Take care of your party first, Tok Mat tells Pas leaders

 

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (left) mingles with Kuala Sawah Jed Park residents in Rantau. - NSTP/Mohd Amin Jalil

SEREMBAN: Pas leaders should take care of their party and not bring conflict to others, said Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Mohamad, popularly known as Tok Mat, said cooperation and seat negotiations for the 15th General Election must be transparent not done in the shadows.

"Take care of your party. I will take care of my party. Whatever discussion must be clear and not be done in the shadows.

"So far, there has been no directive from the Umno president (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) to negotiate with Pas (in Muafakat Nasional)," he told the media after attending the Semarak Merdeka programme at Taman Jed, Kual Sawah, Rantau, near here, this afternoon.

The Negri Sembilan Umno liaison body chief was referring to a statement by Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang that Zahid's actions did not represent Umno.

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Hadi at a press conference after the opening of the 68th Pas Muktamar in Alor Star said negotiations between Umno and Pas on GE15 were still at the grassroots level.

The Marang member of parliament said Umno was not represented only by the party president but involved the party as a whole.

Commenting on Pas spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin, that the Islamic party was not desperate to cooperate with Umno in GE15, Mohamad said Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno had decided to go solo in the polls.

The Rantau assemblyman said in the Melaka and Johor elections, BN had campaigned on its own.

"In Melaka and Johor, we were moving solo. Even in Sabah we (BN/Umno) we were moving solo. Whatever the opinion of others, it is their assumption.

"But BN/Umno have decided that in GE15 we will go it alone. After the election, that is another story (to form the government)," he said.

On the proposal by the Pas Dewan Ulama that the government tightens requirements of election candidates, including prohibiting individuals facing court cases from contesting, Mohamad said such a move would be inappropriate as the court has not sentenced such individuals.

"The law of the country is that an individual is innocent until found guilty by the court.

"Therefore, it is not right for us to punish certain individuals without the court sentencing him.

"We cannot precede the courts ... that is not right," he said. - NST