Dropping Iskandar shows PAS not keen on PKR, says Klang MP

(FMT) – Klang MP Charles Santiago has urged PKR leaders to quickly realise that PAS has become more keen on working with Umno than with the opposition.

He cited PAS’ decision last Saturday to drop its vice-president Iskandar Abdul Samad from the post of Selangor PAS state commissioner.

Speaking to reporters outside the Election Commission’s (EC) office here today, Santiago said Iskandar had always maintained good relations not only with PKR but – in some respects – with DAP as well.

“We see a rise of conservatism in PAS now but Iskandar was always more moderate. With Iskandar being moved out now, it is very clear that PAS was no longer interested in working with PKR,” he said.

He said he is not sure whether certain PKR leaders were aware of this yet but cautioned that they had better realise it soon.

“We’ve heard how PAS has said cooperation with Umno is just mature politics and since they’re obviously letting go of cooperation with PKR, it seems working with Umno has now become their new focus,” Santiago said.

Last Thursday, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was quoted by Bernama as saying that cooperation between PAS and Umno was “mature politics, politics without any quarrels, politics that champion joint interests”.

Santiago also claimed that the Kedah PAS grassroots were also dissatisfied over the cooperation taking place between PAS and Umno in the state.

“The cooperation between PAS and Umno in Kedah is leaving PAS on the sidelines. The grassroots see this and are unhappy about it.”