PAS cannot have its cake and eat it too, says Kedah BN

ALOR SETAR: Kedah Barisan Nasional has poured cold water on the PAS battle cry of ummah unity for the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15).

Its communication chief Datuk Shaful Hazizy said PAS could not have the best of both worlds by working with both Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) at the same time.

“Stop creating a narrative that PAS is a party fighting for the unity of ummah (Muslim community) by bringing all Malay political parties together.

“By joining Perikatan Nasional in the Johor and Melaka state elections, you have killed the charter of Muafakat Nasional.

“PAS should just focus on its cooperation with allies within the Perikatan coalition,” he said.

PAS signed the Muafakat pact with Umno to go against Pakatan Harapan, then the ruling coalition, in 2019.

It also joined Perikatan in 2020 to form the government after Bersatu left Pakatan in what is dubbed the Sheraton Move.

During the 68th PAS muktamar (general assembly) in Kedah last week, party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said the Muafakat pact was still intact.

He said it was only Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s opinion that it had ended.

On reports that PAS has been holding talks with Umno leaders on strategic cooperation, Shaful challenged the PAS leadership to reveal who from Umno was at the negotiating table.

“PAS should stop hoping it can still work with both Umno and Bersatu.

“There is no longer cooperation between Umno and Bersatu.

“PAS is only embarrassing itself,” he said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

Shaful, the Merbok Umno division deputy chief, said Barisan’s decision to go solo in GE15 was unanimous.

Kedah Umno Youth information chief Syed Mohd Johan Rizal Syed Unan Mashri also described the ummah unity call by the PAS leadership as “syiok sendiri” (self-pleasing).

“We already told them we wanted to negotiate but they refused and wanted to work with Bersatu.

“We have been very clear in our stance that we will not work with DAP, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bersatu,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bersatu Balik Pulau division chief Zolkifly Md Lazim said he welcomed the PAS call.

“We respect the PAS decision to unite all Malay parties.

“But for us to work with Umno, the party must get rid of all the kleptocrats first,” he said.