Congrats Umno, you gave Kedah to PAS, Mukhriz says on unity government

(FMT) – Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir today labelled Umno as a “generous” party, saying its proposal to form a unity government with PAS in several states will only see Kedah handed to the Islamist party.

“I have congratulated Umno for giving away Kedah to PAS,” he told reporters at Parliament here.

“This is a very generous move by Umno because, with that coalition, the stronger party in Kedah will be PAS, not Umno.”

The two Malay parties had been looking at forming a unity government following the general election, to take on the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

Perlis and Pahang are under BN while Kelantan and Terengganu are under PAS.

In Kedah, Umno has two state seats. PAS has 15 and PPBM has 19.

Opposition leader Ismail Sabri meanwhile said it is now easier for Umno and PAS to form a state-level unity government, and that the details will be reviewed by a newly established working committee.

He said it would take at least one and a half months for the committee headed by acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan and PAS vice-president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man to come up with suggestions on the unity government.

“Let them discuss first. It’s too early. Our cooperation needs detailed discussions,” he told reporters at the first sitting of Dewan Rakyat today.

The former agriculture and agro-based minister added that some of the committee members had said at a meeting last week that the parties were moving too quickly.

“I told them to let the committee decide first,” he added.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said PAS is open to working with any party for the sake of the nation and the people.

“We will cooperate with anyone including the government for the good of the people and nation, in whatever policies and programmes, even on the government’s side.”