Pas to decide status of relationship with Bersatu

SHAH ALAM – Pas will hold a special meeting soon to determine the status of its relationship with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), following the escalating political crisis in Perlis after the appointment of a new Menteri Besar.

Pas Youth information chief Khairul Nadzir Helmi Azhar said the decision on whether cooperation as coalition partners within Perikatan Nasional (PN) will continue or be terminated is expected to be finalised at the meeting before being announced to the public.

“Pas has previously been in relationships with various political coalitions, so the issue of parting ways or not (with any party) is something normal in politics.

“So far, there is still no official decision because a special meeting will be held to discuss the matter,” he told Sinar.

Earlier, this newspaper’s front page reported that the appointment of Bersatu assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah as the 12th Menteri Besar of Perlis on Sunday was seen as a "thorn in the flesh" in the PN relationship between Bersatu and Pas.

Several senior Pas leaders have begun issuing signals and warnings towards Bersatu, including Pas vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, who posted the phrase "retak menanti belah" (a crack waiting to split) on social media.

Pas Central election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor also hinted that Pas may consider renewing cooperation with Umno through Muafakat Nasional (MN) in preparation for the 16th General Election (GE16).

Khairul Nadzir also criticised Bersatu, which leads PN, for failing to call any meetings or discussions with coalition partners after Pas immediately suspended the memberships of three assemblymen who withdrew their support for then Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli.

“Bersatu’s silence is deeply disappointing because the people are waiting for the next course of action. This crisis is growing without concrete efforts to resolve it promptly.

“Bersatu… learn to hold meetings when conflicts arise. We see no clear steps from them. The PN chairman is the Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, yet to this day there has been no official meeting or discussion,” he said.

Commenting further, Khairul Nadzir said the crisis had exposed the true character of coalition partners, in contrast to Pas, which he said had always been loyal in political relationships.

“We believe this reflects their true behaviour. We regard them as partners, but loyalty is not easily proven. This stance is consistent with statements made by other leaders, including the Pas Central information chief.

“Pas has never betrayed its allies since its establishment. We were once together with Semangat 46, Barisan Alternatif and Pakatan Rakyat, but never acted in such a manner. Historically, Pas has often been betrayed, not the other way around. If you want to learn about loyalty, learn it from Pas,” he said.

When asked about the invitation by Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh for Pas to cooperate again with Umno to revive MN, Khairul Nadzir said Pas was seeking more than just MN.

“We want a comprehensive unity of the ummah, involving nationalist parties rooted in the struggle for Malay-Islamic values and independence from the past until today.

“This unity of the ummah has been mentioned three times by Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang in his keynote speeches at the past three muktamars,” he said.