KUALA LUMPUR – Despite PAS and Umno’s supposed efforts to revive their Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact, the Islamist party will remain steadfast in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition to face the coming general election, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
Elaborating on the details of his meeting with PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and several other PN leaders last night, Muhyiddin said PAS is still firmly committed to PN.
“PAS is one of PN’s founders. There is no issue about the party wanting to leave the coalition,” Muhyiddin said at a press conference after a meeting of the National Recovery Council in Putrajaya today.
“In our meeting (last night), PAS reaffirmed that it would stay in the PN alliance.
“We have also agreed for the seat distribution for GE15 (15th general election) to be finalised as soon as possible.
“This will be expedited, which means that we have reached the stage of finalising the distribution of seats.”
PN will also be embarking on a nationwide Jelajah Prihatin roadshow soon, and will involve all the coalition’s leaders.
Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, had earlier today shared on Facebook that he held a two-hour meeting with PAS and Bersatu leaders last night.
Among those who attended the meeting included PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, and Bersatu vice-president Datuk Radzi Jidin.
Muhyiddin said Hadi had informed him of the latter’s meeting with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and that nothing had come out of it.
However, Muhyiddin today also said that Hadi had given him the impression during their meeting last night that PAS would be making a final decision on whether to work with PN or BN for the elections.
Zahid and Hadi reportedly met last week in a “secret meeting”, various media had reported, citing unnamed sources.
The meeting was held even though Zahid said earlier this month that it was time for Umno to move on without PAS.
On Saturday, Muhyiddin, in a speech at Bersatu’s sixth anniversary celebration, declared BN as PN’s main enemy.
However, PAS appeared to reject Muhyiddin’s stance on BN, with an instruction to party members not to accept any view that labelled another Malay-Muslim group as an enemy.
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— PAS Pusat (@PASPusat) September 26, 2022
PAS AKUR NASIHAT MURSYIDUL AM
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This instruction, relayed in a letter by PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan from the party’s spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin, was dismissed by Muhyiddin today.
“Our (Bersatu and PAS) relationship is solid and strong. Whatever statements issued by whoever, that’s up to them. Maybe they were instigated, God only knows.” – The Vibes, September 27, 2022