UMNO leader denies secret talks with PN, accuses PAS of backdoor deal attempt

SENIOR UMNO leader Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi has rejected claims that party representatives held secret talks with Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders to initiate a cross-party movement, accusing PAS instead of attempting to lure UMNO into a “backdoor government” arrangement.

Responding to a recent statement by PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who alleged that UMNO figures had met with PN leaders to discuss a potential alliance, Puad said the claim was baseless and misleading.

“Tuan Ibrahim does not need to lie. From what I was informed, it was he who took the initiative to meet UMNO intermediaries and offered the post of prime minister to UMNO, provided the party agreed to the ‘backdoor government’ plan,” Puad told *Sinar Harian* on Monday.

He added that the proposal was never brought to the UMNO Supreme Council (MKT) for discussion. “Even if it had been, I would have been the first to speak out and reject it in the strongest terms,” he said.

Earlier, Tuan Ibrahim had claimed that PAS was open to UMNO leaders joining or supporting PN, confirming the existence of such informal engagements. However, Puad firmly dismissed the narrative, stating that UMNO would not be enticed into reuniting with a coalition he described as the least trustworthy in Barisan Nasional’s (BN) history.

“UMNO will not fall into the same trap twice. PAS and Bersatu are merely attempting to bait us. Cooperation with PN is nothing more than a pipe dream,” he said.

Puad insisted that UMNO remained committed to its partnership with Pakatan Harapan (PH) under the Unity Government, and ruled out any possibility of exploring new coalitions, including in the lead-up to the upcoming Sabah state election.

“The BN-PH alliance has been officially announced. There will be no negotiations with PN. No PAS, no Bersatu, no Ramasamy, no Waytha Moorthy,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that no UMNO Supreme Council members would entertain any proposal for renewed engagement with PN. “If there were any signs of such talks, it would have surfaced ahead of the Sabah polls. But there are none,” Puad added. - July 21, 2025