PAS says no to Umno courtship
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider
PAS has firmly shut the doors on holding all talks with Umno, saying it sees no need for any sort of relations despite the ruling Malay party’s latest approach to wooing the Islamist party back into its fold.
”We have closed the file for any cooperation with Umno and the issue does not arise any more,” said PAS vice-president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, describing Umno No.2 Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s recent call for mediators to unite the two parties as a wasted effort.
Muhyiddin had yesterday said he was open to a third-party mediator to realize PAS-Umno unity talks.
The deputy prime minister had also invited former muftis to do so and suggested Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria.
“To use a middle man shows Umno is in a critical state,” Tuan Ibrahim was reported saying to PAS newspaper, Harakah.
He explained PAS had only agreed to cooperate with Putrajaya on a federal-state principle or government-to-government (G-to-G) basis involving several issues, including oil royalty rights and an annual per capita allowance for Kelantan as well as on Umno’s relentless attacks against the other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states in Penang, Kedah and Selangor.
