PAS spiritual leader claims efforts made for party to join federal govt

 

PAS will have to weigh the pros and cons of joining the federal government, said its spiritual leader Hashim Jasin.

According to a report by Utusan, he admitted that there are efforts from certain parties to invite the party to join Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

However, he did not disclose who had made the invitation, saying that the matter was also raised in the Islamist party’s ulama council, but that it was only briefly discussed and there has not been any final decision about it.

“We need to study and see the good and bad, and whether there is DAP and so on in the cooperation within the government.

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“The matter will be looked into before any decision is made.

“There is indeed an effort from certain parties to invite us together in the coalition government and we have not made any decision yet,” he said in Kangar yesterday.

Idea previously rejected

It should be noted that PAS’ most senior leaders have, in recent times, publicly rejected the idea.

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Hashim claimed that the party which has the most seats in the Dewan Rakyat could certainly help strengthen the government’s position.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang

At last year’s PAS annual assembly, party president Abdul Hadi Awang emphatically rejected the idea, denouncing the Madani administration as being full of prisoners, corrupt people and a court cluster.

In June, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil neither confirmed nor denied rumours that PAS may join the coalition government but he emphasised that there are numerous discussions between the government and opposition, particularly involving state leaders.

However, he did not explicitly state whether these discussions included an exclusive dialogue between the federal government and PAS.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man swiftly denied this, confirming the party has no plans to join the Pakatan Harapan-BN-led coalition government.

“I want to make an affirmative statement, PAS will not join the Harapan-BN government.

“There was no consultation, there was no discussion, internal party meeting or together with Perikatan Nasional,” he said. - Mkini