UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his party will not work with PAS as long as Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang remains the Islamist party’s president.
Speaking to delegates at Kuala Kangsar UMNO’s annual general meeting on Monday (July 8), Zahid said Hadi’s inconsistencies during face-to-face meetings were what had driven him to make the stand.
He said past experience working with PAS had prompted him to make this stand, claiming the two parties had made “joint agreements” which were not honoured by the Islamist party, Sinar Harian reported.
“PAS has been lying from back then up until now. I am a living witness. I have had face-to-face discussions with Hadi where he states his agreement on something in front of us but changes his stand the next day,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay daily.
“As long as that person is president, don’t expect us (UMNO) to work with a party that exploits Islam.”
Commenting on Barisan Nasional’s (BN) cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, Zahid said his colleagues from the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led coalition were sincere in cooperating within the government and in political work.
The BN chairman said this is evident from the collaboration between BN and PH in several recent by-elections.
In fact, when the Perak unity government was formed, Zahid recalled how PH had insisted that a BN leader be appointed the menteri besar despite only having nine state seats compared to PH’s 24.
He cited a similar situation in Pahang when PH had welcomed a BN man as menteri besar.
UMNO and PAS used to be allies under the short-lived Muafakat Nasional charter which was formalised in 2019 when Pakatan Harapan was the government.
The relationship between both political parties turned sour after PAS established Perikatan Nasional with Bersatu.
Muafakat Nasional ended after Barisan Nasional formed the unity government with Pakatan Harapan, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah. – July 8, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
