Mustafa Ali urges PAS to discuss cooperation with Umno

(TMI) – PAS should accept Umno’s invitation to discuss cooperation for the sake of the country, said veteran PAS leader Mustafa Ali today.

“PAS should accept Umno’s offer to discuss possible cooperation,” said the former PAS election director at a press conference in Kuala Terengganu today.

He was responding to Umno information chief Annuar Musa’s offer to the Islamist party to cooperate ahead of the next elections.

Mustafa said PAS need not rejoin Barisan Nasional but needs to have official talks with Umno on the cooperation.

Mustafa said his suggestion was in line with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s view that the party and Pakatan Harapan had no more “chemistry”.

He said that PAS’ plans to become a kingmaker would not work under Malaysia’s electoral system.

“Kingmakers only have a role to play when the country has a hung parliament. But this is an election where the government and opposition are defined,” said Mustafa.

The veteran PAS election director, who was dropped ahead of the next election, said although his party can improve on the number of popular votes but it is unlikely they will win more seats. PAS could end up with fewer seats, he added.

As such, the only viable option left was to work with Umno, he said.

“Based on this, I would like to see PAS work with Umno because both parties represent the Malay vote,” said Mustafa, who was one of the few PAS leaders who pushed for the party to join Pakatan Harapan.

Mustafa, who has led PAS since 1974 after winning the Kuala Terengganu federal seat, was appointed to the board of advisers by deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man during the period Hadi was on medical leave after his heart operation.