It’s official: Umno and PAS have formalised ties
(The Star) – Umno and PAS have formally announced their political collaboration.
Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that the two parties are “married” and will work on a political platform without any conditions, especially in by-elections, for the interests of uniting the Muslims and Malays.
He said there will be a main committee and an opposition caucus in Parliament, but the parties will not be forming a coalition.
“This main committee will be chaired by both me and the PAS deputy president. There will be a technical committee chaired by the two vice-presidents of the parties.
“Umno and PAS have agreed that this is a cooperation, respecting each other, and finding the meeting points between the two parties for the sake of the unity of Muslims (ummah).
“Our agenda is not to create a Malay pact versus the non-Malays. We want to unite the Muslims and bumiputra without sidelining any other race and religion ” said Mohamad.
He said this after a three-hour meeting on Tuesday (March 5) between top Umno and PAS leaders at the Umno headquarters here in Putra World Trade Centre to work out the formation of a technical committee for the collaboration.
Among those present were Umno supreme council members Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, vice-president Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Wanita chief Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad and Youth chief Datuk Seri Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
There were seven top PAS leaders including deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, vice-president Idris Ahmad, secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and Muslimat chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh who were present at the meeting.
“We ‘exchanged rings’ in Sungai Kandis, were ‘engaged’ in Seri Setia and then we decided we wanted to get ‘married’ – this is the official ceremony. And now we are sitting on the dais,” said Mohamad.
He also pooh-poohed those who said that there will be a united logo between Umno and PAS.
“Those who said that are from Hospital Bahagia (mental hospital),” said Mohamad.
Tuan Ibrahim said that the meetings of the new committee will be alternated between Umno and PAS headquarters.
“We are not only for the Malay Muslims but the interests of the whole country when we say ummah (Muslim nation),” said Tuan Ibrahim.
This was the first formal talks between the two parties.
Last month, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the cooperation between Umno and PAS is not a political gimmick but a sincere collaboration for the sake of Islam, the Malays and the country.
After the wins by Barisan in Cameron Highlands and Semenyih, Umno and PAS have concluded that working together can bear fruits to rattle the Pakatan Harapan ruling coalition.
