PAS vice president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has signalled openness to revitalising the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact with UMNO, stressing its significance as a platform for unity among Malay-based parties.
In a recent episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by former UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former UMNO information chief Shahril Hamdan, Samsuri expressed willingness to cooperate with Amanah as part of efforts to unite Malay parties though he didn’t explicitly mention their inclusion in MN.
“The Muslim or Malay-based parties should come together. Coming together can mean different things.
“Coming together doesn’t necessarily mean we merge into one party. That’s not necessarily the case. But what’s important is that we work together through alignment or by cooperating,” he said.
Moreover, Samsuri also underscored the importance of flexibility in politics, noting that alliances can shift and emphasising the need to prioritise decisions based on what is right rather than sentiment.
“What’s important is that we make decisions based on what is right, not sentiments. So, for me, what is right should include Amanah, UMNO and others,” the Terengganu Menteri Besar responded to Khairy’s question about the possibility of PAS and Amanah collaborating in the future.
Amanah is a splinter party which broke away from PAS in 2015 following the latter’s departure from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. On Dec 22, 2023, Amanah vice president Adly Zahari said the party did not view PAS as an enemy and would welcome its participation in the unity government.
However, PAS’ spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin dismissed the idea, insisting that Amanah must sever ties with DAP for genuine collaboration.
Regarding Samsuri’s potential candidacy as PAS’ prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming general election, the Kemaman MP stated it’s not solely his decision suggesting it would be determined by the party and broader consensus.
“If it’s directed by the party and the ‘bigger voice’ says so, wallahualam (only God knows best),” he added. – March 13, 2024
