No benefit to Malays if PAS-Umno union formed, forum told

By admin-s On Nov 25, 2014

(MMO) – A co-operation between PAS and Umno would do nothing for the Malay community save from being a last ditch attempt to help the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin survive, said a forum organised by DAP’s news portal Roketkini last night.

Responding to a warning by former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad over the weekend that without such a union, the country’s ethnic Malays will suffer the same fate as the native Americans or “Red Indians”, the panelists suggested it might be Umno that will find itself extinct soon.

“This psychological war is to trap PAS to become new oars, to extend Umno’s life … It is Umno which would profit the most when Malays feel that they are under threat,” PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa told the 200-odd crowd.

Husam also expressed his confidence that if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wins the next general elections, it would be Umno members who might join PAS, PKR and DAP instead, after the party disbands.

“This is what Umno is afraid of. The former chief justice is not afraid of Malays becoming like Red Indians, he is afraid Umno will become like Red Indians,” Husam claimed.

In the National Unity Convention on Sunday, Hamid urged Umno and PAS to reconcile their differences to prevent DAP and PKR from taking power and consigning Malays to the sidelines in their own country.

According to him, PAS must realise that DAP is a “more chauvinistic” party compared to MCA and Gerakan, and it will dominate PR should the opposition pact come to power.

“Tun Hamid saw that democracy and the space for it is necessary. I see that the way forward for the Malays is opening up democracy,” said fellow panelist Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari of University of Selangor.

“By suggesting that to PAS, this means that check and balance will be reduced, democracy will be weakened, and the leaders would be immune from criticism.”