Time to implement political ceasefire between Malay Islamic parties – Pas

SHAH ALAM - The time has come for Malay Islamic parties in Perikatan Nasional (PN), Pakatan Harapan (PH), and Barisan Nasional (BN) to initiate a National Political Ceasefire to broaden the agenda of uniting the ummah beyond partisan polemics.

Pas Central Committee member Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki said that the initiative was crucial and should be taken seriously by all parties, especially at a time when the country was on the verge of an economic crisis, the people's lives were increasingly pressured, Sharia sovereignty was eroded by the liberal agenda and the Islamic world continues to be oppressed like in Palestine.

He emphasised that just as Pas had opened the door for cooperation with BN when they were in power, a political ceasefire should now be established with the ruling government, namely PH-BN.

"For me, this ceasefire is to create a conducive atmosphere towards broader cooperation to achieve the agenda of uniting the ummah.

"Although Umno President (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) has said that the Muafakat Nasional (MN) cooperation will not be revived, I believe the agenda of uniting the ummah will not die; it will continue to be pursued until the Day of Judgment.

"However, in my personal view, the approach to pursue the agenda of uniting the ummah is dynamic. The parties that become partners can also be expanded, not just Umno and BN," he told Sinar Premium on Monday.

He made these comments in response to Zahid's statement characterising Pas' suggestion to revive cooperation between the two parties through MN as insincere.

The Deputy Prime Minister claimed that Pas left MN, not Umno, because they stabbed the party from the back and engaged in antics beyond what was agreed upon through the MN charter.

In further comments, Zuhdi viewed MN as merely a brand for the agenda of uniting the ummah that Pas had been working on since 2015.

Even though MN was considered buried by some parties, he believed that the agenda of uniting the ummah should not only be continued but should be strengthened by all parties.

"Previously, in the issue of the conflict between Palestine and Israel, Pas and PN have demonstrated solidarity together with the leaders of Umno, PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), Amanah (Parti Amanah Negara), and various non-governmental organisations by organising demonstrations at the National Mosque.

"This shows that in certain situations, the coalition partners to continue the agenda of uniting the ummah can be expanded as long as it is based on piety and goodness," he said.

Meanwhile, Pas Selangor Secretary Roslan Shahir Mohd Shahir believed that Pas' offer to invite Umno to revive MN post-PRU15 was proof of the party's sincerity in achieving the agenda of unity among the ummah.

He said this because Pas suggested at a time when the party had the most parliamentary seats with 43 members, besides controlling the Malay voter segment along with PN.

"If in the past Umno wanted to say we were insincere, maybe they could use the excuse that we only had 18 parliamentary seats compared to BN having more seats.

"Now we have the most parliamentary seats, controlling the Malay voter segment. We don't actually need Umno but we still fight for MN and the agenda of uniting the ummah because it is a matter demanded of the Muslim community," he said.