Hadi says Bersatu no longer part of PN, Azmin disagrees

 

Bersatu is no longer considered a Perikatan Nasional component party, said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

He said this was after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin expressed the intention to form a new political coalition.

After delivering his weekly sermon at the Rusila mosque in Marang, Terengganu, Hadi told reporters that Bersatu had “trapped itself” in its own political manoeuvres.

“They made a statement to form another coalition, and they are automatically out.

“There is no need for an official statement or decision anymore because it trapped itself when it made such a statement.

“According to the (PN) constitution, if they go to another (coalition), that is the end (of their membership in PN),” he said.

Before the Negeri Sembilan polls, Muhyiddin alluded to Bersatu’s possible exit from PN, accusing PAS of unilaterally entering an electoral pact with BN and sidelining Bersatu from seat negotiations.

After the state election, which saw Bersatu lose its deposit in 23 of 24 seats it contested, Muhyiddin touted the formation of the Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat coalition with Putra and Urimai.

This comes after months of intensifying tension between PAS and Bersatu, following a coup in Perlis last year, which caused the Islamist party to lose the menteri besar post to Bersatu.

‘No such provision’

However, Bersatu disputed Hadi's interpretation of the PN constitution, with its secretary-general Azmin Ali saying there is no provision allowing a member party to be dropped automatically.

In a statement today, Azmin asserted that the PN presidential council has never convened a meeting to discuss Bersatu's membership status, as required under Clause 7A.

"Therefore, Bersatu is still a legitimate PN member party," he said.

Bersatu sec-gen Azmin Ali

Further, he claimed that the move by PN chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan to prevent Bersatu representatives from attending the coalition supreme council meeting on July 16 was a major violation of its constitution.

This had obstructed Bersatu from participating in discussions regarding the cooperation with BN as well as the distribution of seats for the Negeri Sembilan polls, he added.

"Bersatu will make an official complaint to the Registrar of Societies regarding this serious constitutional violation," Azmin said.

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PAS emerges dominant

Meanwhile, Hadi, who does not hold any posts in PN, indicated his satisfaction with coalition representatives being appointed to the Negeri Sembilan state executive council.

“Yes, we are satisfied. We were given two representatives,” he said.

PN is led by the Islamist party, as Samsuri, who is also PAS vice-president and Terengganu menteri besar, was made the coalition’s chairperson in February.

PN chairperson Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar

This was after Muhyiddin’s resignation from the post, believed to be an attempt to cool tensions with PAS after the Perlis move.

At the time, PAS leaders had threatened to either quit PN and pursue a fresh alliance with Umno, or take over leadership of the coalition.

Since then, PAS seems to have taken over the coalition, entered into an electoral alliance with Umno, and allegedly expelled Bersatu from PN. - Mkini