Pact on Muslim Malay PM

(The Star) – Pakatan Rakyat has agreed that the country’s Prime Minister will be a Muslim Malay if it wins the next general election.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said PKR, DAP and PAS were unanimous and agreed that the Prime Minister should be “from the biggest majority group in the country”.

“Today, the Muslim Malays are the biggest majority group. This is a fact that has been accepted by all,” he said after delivering his presidential message at the “PAS Green Gathering to Putrajaya” here yesterday.

The first half of the gathering, involving PAS leaders, was held at their Kedah headquarters and the second half was held at the Darulaman Stadium.

Among those present were PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak.

Abdul Hadi said Pakatan Rakyat would uphold the country’s Constitution, including maintaining Islam as the country’s religion, together with bumiputra rights and Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.

“We will follow this as we do not want to be hasty when we come into power.”

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said although there was no mention in the Constitution as to who could be the Prime Minister, the Opposition parties had agreed that it should be a Muslim Malay.

“Even DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the DAP has no intention to take on the Prime Minister’s post because they understand the reality,” he said.

Abdul Hadi said PAS had held a dialogue session with Islamic non-governmental organisations last week and planned to hold a bigger one with other NGOs in the future.

He said PAS was willing to hold a debate with Barisan Nasional “but it should only involve top party leaders from both parties”.