In a statement, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the Islamic party is open to forming alliances with Malay-Muslim based parties and will continue to focus on its “ummah unification” concept.
“PAS is firm that it will not cooperate with Pakatan Harapan or any of its component parties to face GE15, including in the ‘big tent’ concept,” he said.
“PAS is very optimistic that the unification of the ummah approach can be achieved through the collaboration of the main parties in the country based on Malay Muslim and Bumiputera unity.
“This is the most effective formula and is accepted by the majority of Malaysians.”
He said these were among the decisions made at a PAS central committee meeting yesterday.
At the Perikatan Nasional (PN) convention on Saturday, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition was open to the idea of teaming up with other parties to face Barisan Nasional (BN) in GE15 as it would be difficult to defeat “the main enemy” in multi-cornered fights.
PAS is one of the five component parties in PN.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has since said that PH would not cooperate with PN in GE15, adding that this was a decision reached by the PH presidential council.
The “big tent” approach that Takiyuddin refers to in his statement describes PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim’s preference for uniting all opposition parties against BN ahead of GE15.
In his statement, Takiyuddin also said PAS was open to finding the “best formula” for political cooperation with parties that prioritise “unity and harmony” ahead of GE15.
This would ensure the stability and well-being of the country’s various races and religions, he added.
Takiyuddin added that the state governments which the party controls – Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu – would not dissolve their legislative assemblies earlier than March 2023 in a bid to focus on economic recovery.
He said these issues would be on the agenda at the 68th PAS annual meeting to be held in Alor Setar, Kedah, on Sept 3 and 4.
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