PAS will never join Umno, party leaders insist again

(Malay Mail Online) – PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub and information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar have both rubbished talk that the Islamist party may join political rival Umno to form a unity government, backing a fellow party leader’s plea for an end to the DAP’s attacks against its loyalty.

Local Malay daily Sinar Harian today reported Salahuddin as pointing out that PAS did not discuss the possibility of leaving Pakatan Rakyat (PR) during its meeting several weeks ago.

“A few weeks ago, we (PAS) met and no issue on PR’s split was brought up… we are still with PR,” he was quoted saying, adding that the leaders within the pact should stop attacking one another for personal gain.

“On the unity government’s issue, PAS’s Syura Council has confirmed that there has been no effort towards that direction (to join Umno).”

Mahfuz echoed Salahuddin’s view, insisting that PAS will never “betray” the pact by teaming up with their political rivals.

“I will firmly say that PAS is consistent in its resolution to stay with PR… do not easily believe any news on this (unity government with Umno),” the Pokok Sena MP was quoted as saying in a separate Sinar Harian report.

Yesterday, another PAS vice-president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man pleaded with ally DAP to stop attacking their party for the pact’s sake and denied that the Islamist party will join Umno to form a unity government.

On his Facebook page, Tuan Ibrahim wrote that “the allegations that PAS will unite with Umno are lies”.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng labelled PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang Saturday a racist for claiming his party’s proposed shadow Cabinet to be proof of its intention to usurp federal power unilaterally.

The Penang chief minister also called Hadi “mad”, in the ongoing spat between the two PR parties, after Hadi reportedly said PAS is ready to sever ties with the DAP for excluding the Islamist party and PKR from its shadow Cabinet.