PETALING JAYA - Pas should leave Perikatan Nasional and form a new coalition using its own logo and branding, says Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.
He claimed that Pas had never been fully committed to Perikatan, alleging that the party had been involved in political negotiations outside the coalition.
"Pas has repeatedly expressed its desire to revive Muafakat Nasional with Umno.
"They were also alleged to have held meetings with (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and (Umno president) Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi without the knowledge of Bersatu or Perikatan," he said on Facebook Friday (June 19).
He said that if it were true that Pas had held talks with Umno and would not contest in the upcoming Johor state election, the party should voluntarily leave Perikatan and cooperate with Umno through Muafakat Nasional instead.
"If these rumours are true, it would not be appropriate for Pas to continue chairing Perikatan.
"Wouldn't that be better than Pas being seen as trying to sabotage Bersatu, Perikatan and other parties that want to remain with the coalition?" he said.
Tun Faisal said Bersatu should continue leading Perikatan together with its existing component parties and allies to preserve the coalition's continuity and brand.
He also said that Pas had not been loyal to the Perikatan brand, noting that the party had previously prioritised its own logo over the coalition's logo in previous state elections.
"In Kelantan and Terengganu, they prioritise the Pas logo over the Perikatan logo.
"There were even proposals for Pas to contest using its own logo in Johor," he said.
Tun Faisal also criticised Pas' leadership role within Perikatan, claiming that the coalition had been slow in making key decisions and preparing for elections.
He alleged that important meetings and seat negotiations were not held with sufficient urgency, while several decisions made by Perikatan top leaders taking a long time to be implemented.
Tun Faisal added that Pas had weakened Perikatan's identity, arguing that the coalition's image as a more inclusive 'blue' political coalition had become increasingly associated with Pas' 'green' branding.
"This situation has made it more difficult for Perikatan to attract support from non-Malay parties and other political groups," he said. - THE STAR