Unity government with Umno ‘out of the question’, says PAS veep

By MT Webmaster On Jun 8, 2015

(Malay Mail Online) – PAS may have decided to cut ties with DAP but will not hook up with Umno even as it dreams of taking control of Putrajaya, the Islamist party’s newly elected vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said today.

“Unity government is out of the question,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

“We want to topple BN (Barisan Nasional). That is the objective,” the Kelantan deputy mentri besar added.

The political rumour mill went into overdrive yesterday after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Umno president, said there will be better understanding between the two Malay parties after the conservatives in PAS swept into power at its party polls last week.

Asked to respond, Amar said: “We will talk to anybody for people’s interest”.

“Muktamar has decided no UG,” added the PAS conservative leader, using the abbreviation for unity government.

Kelantan passed amendments to its Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 last March in a bid to implement hudud, sparking outrage from the DAP who later cut off ties with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Abdul Hadi retained his seat in the PAS election last week and the Islamist party approved a motion, without debate, to end PAS’ relationship with the DAP while still remaining in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) with PKR.

PAS ulama wing information chief Datuk Dr Khairuddin Aman Razali, however, said yesterday that PAS lawmakers do not need to resign from government posts in Penang and Selangor.

He stressed that the motion approved during the muktamar was not a final decision as it must still be approved by both the advisory Syura Council and PAS central committee.

Abdul Hadi and the conservative faction in PAS are seen as being close to Umno, but leaders from the Islamist party have repeatedly denied allegations of wanting to form a unity government with the BN lynchpin.

News portal Malaysiakini reported that Abdul Hadi was seen together with Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in Sabah yesterday.