He said one of the reasons MN was formed was to oppose Pakatan Harapan, and asking Umno to work with Bersatu would go against the spirit on which MN was founded.

“Asking Umno to accept Bersatu is against the spirit of MN’s formation. What more when Bersatu was in cahoots with the DAP in opposing us and later toppling an Umno-led government,” he said in a statement today.

Yesterday, PAS said it would reject MN because Umno had insisted that the alliance was exclusive to PAS and Umno alone.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had said that this went against MN’s charter to admit other Malay-based parties and NGOs into the fold.

Mohamad, who is popularly called Tok Mat, said while MN could consider accepting other parties as a “grand Malay umbrella coalition”, any such decision must first take into account the interests of Umno and PAS.

“That is why we never invited PKR, Amanah, Putra or Pejuang to join MN, although they are part of the ummah (community).

“PAS should be aware that Umno’s delegates had decided at the party’s annual general assembly not to cooperate with Bersatu. Umno needs to stick to this decision,” he said.

Mohamad said PAS should not abandon MN just because Bersatu was not included in it, as this issue was less important than the larger interests of the Malays and Islam.