Yes, we met Umno but not to discuss political strategies, says Sanusi

 

Both PAS’s election director Sanusi Nor (left) and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had denied there was a meeting between the two parties to form a pact for the 16th general election.

PETALING JAYA: 

PAS’s election director Sanusi Nor has denied there was any official meeting between his party and Umno to discuss an alliance for the next general election.

This comes after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday confirmed that no representatives from PAS had met with him to discuss the matter.

I attended PAS’s meetings and there have been no reports of such talks (with Umno) and I was not informed of any such thing. As the election director, I would definitely be informed if there were discussions on this,

 said Sanusi, who is also Kedah menteri besar.

“I’ve also met with Umno leaders, as well as those from DAP and (communications minister) Fahmi Fadzil at Istana Negara (for the installation ceremony of Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th king of Malaysia).

If seeing someone is considered ‘a meeting’, then I’ve been meeting (them) frequently. However, we did not discuss political strategies,

 he told a press conference at Wisma Darul Aman, Alor Setar.

Last Monday, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari claimed that Umno leaders had met with the Islamic party on several occasions to discuss an alliance for the next general election.

He said the meetings were informal and involved the top leadership of both parties.

In one of the meetings, they expressed hope that Umno would go back to working with PAS, but they were too afraid to go against their president’s decision,

 Fadhli was quoted as saying, referring to Zahid.

Previously, former Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil said the party needed to decide whether to continue its cooperation with Pakatan Harapan or revive the Umno-PAS pact, known as Muafakat Nasional, in a bid to unite all Malay-Muslim parties.

He said that a main priority for Umno before the 16th general election would be to join forces with PAS and Bersatu to form a formidable entity. - FMT