Pakatan now just PAS and PKR, says Takiyuddin

(Malay Mail Online) – PAS insisted yesterday that the defunct Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was still valid with the Islamist party and PKR its only members, even as the latter formed the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact with DAP and Parti Amanah Negara.

Despite the proclamation, PAS said it does not necessarily need PKR to garner non-Muslim votes as it can rely on its non-Muslim wing PAS Supporters’ Congress.

“PAS has its own role. PAS has been alone, and also with political partners. Now PAS is with PKR,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (pic) was quoted in the party’s news portal HarakahDaily.

“In the current atmosphere, we are still with PKR. In PR there were three partnerships, but now there are only two. PR still exists between PAS and PKR.”

Takiyuddin also reiterated that it “has never crossed PAS’ mind” to work together with ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) and its dominant component Umno.

Yesterday, PKR, DAP and Amanah announced the formation of a new coalition to replace PR and extended an invitation for PAS to join.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told a news conference that the alliance will be named “Pakatan Harapan”, and that it will push for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be prime minister if it defeats BN.

But Malay Mail Online understands that the decision to proceed with the launch did not sit well with some of those who participated in the roundtable session prior to it.

Some leaders, it is believed, felt the parties involved should first firm up the new pact’s framework and policies, and most significantly, its relationship with PAS.

Former allies PAS and DAP became openly hostile over their disagreement on hudud, the Islamic penal code, eventually leading to the breakup of PR.