PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin said the unity of the ummah was not an agenda created by the party, but a higher calling from God.

“Such a command is not only for PAS and Umno, and not just in Malaysia or in specific places, but the world over.

“Thus, it wouldn’t be right for Umno to close the door to unity among the ummah,” he told FMT.

Hashim was responding to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who described as insincere a proposal by PAS to revive MN, the electoral alliance formed in 2019 between the country’s two biggest Malay parties.

Zahid said the Islamic party had not only withdrawn from the alliance, but also violated the agreement in place.

“They stabbed us in the back. I don’t think their offer is sincere,” he told reporters after a Risda event.

Hashim asked why Umno was reluctant to work with PAS through MN once more, especially since the Islamic party’s allies in Perikatan Nasional, Bersatu and Gerakan, had welcomed the proposal.

“We’ll firmly uphold the agenda of ummah unity. We shouldn’t close the door (on it). PAS has never done so, and we open it up to all, not just Malay-Muslims,” he added.

PAS’s proposal was raised on Feb 16 by Hashim, who said he was confident that informal talks had been held between leaders of the two parties to revive the alliance.

Hashim said that PAS would not close the door to any form of cooperation with Umno to revive MN, even though Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said his party had closed the book on the matter.

Last week, Bersatu information chief Razali Idris said PAS had not discussed with his party any plans to revive MN with Umno.