‘PKR-Umno preliminary talks started last Christmas’
Popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin says PKR secretary-general and Umno vice-president met up in London to get the ball rolling
(FMT) – Is Anwar Ibrahim’s call for a national consensus between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional a precursor to a planned PKR-Umno peace talks?
Earlier today Anwar told reporters that he welcomed Home Minister and Umno vice president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s positive response to the idea of the national consensus.
He added that he had tasked PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution to respond to Zahid on the matter, but dismissed talk that his call for consensus was an indication of a unity government.
“No, no relevance to unity government. I spelt out the issues. We need a consensus of fundamental issues that concern the nation; race, religion, corruption and economy,” he told reporters.
Saifuddin, who was also with Anwar at the press conference, also had brushed aside talks about unity government.
However popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said preliminary talks between PKR and Umno had started in London during the Christmas period last year.
“Saifuddin and Zahid both spent Christmas in London recently where they met to hammer out the details of PKR and Umno meeting at a ‘table talk’,” he wrote in his latest blog posting in Malaysia-Today.
He added that while it was too early to talk about a unity government, credit however must be given to both Saifuddin and Zahid if the unity government does happen.
“Saifuddin and Zahid have been working very hard over the last month to pave the way for such a probability.
“(But) they first have to meet and see whether an engagement is even possible before discussing a marriage,” he added.
Earlier today, Saifuddin was asked if it was true that he had met up with Zahid even before Anwar’s call for national consensus.
He responded by saying that he regularly met Zahid and other Umno vice-presidents, Shafie Apdal and Hishamuddin Hussein. “as they are friends”.
