PAS the real traitor, says BN man

(FMT) – A Barisan Nasional leader says PAS is the real traitor as the rift between the Islamic party and Umno continues to widen.

Isham Jalil said PAS had joined forces with Bersatu to push for Perikatan Nasional to be registered as a coalition “months after” the Islamic party signed a political pact with Umno.

This was despite being well aware of Umno’s reservations, including by its grassroots, about working with Muhyiddin Yassin’s party, he said.

Umno and PAS formed the Muafakat Nasional alliance in September 2019, while PN was officially registered as a coalition in August 2020.

Umno had previously said it would not be joining PN, as it wanted to strengthen MN.

Isham, who is the Selangor Barisan Nasional information chief, said PAS’ decision to join PN was meant to pressure Umno into accepting Bersatu.

“If we are engaged to someone who then decides to get engaged to another, then that person is the traitor,” he said in a Facebook post.

Isham was responding to PAS information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin who had earlier labelled Umno as a traitor.

Khairil said the betrayals by certain factions within Umno, including the role it played in toppling the previous PN government and triggering a number of state elections, had led PAS to reconsider its cooperation with Umno.

Isham also criticised PAS for labelling Umno as a “duck with broken legs” after the 14th general election. He said such name calling was unbecoming of a religious party that had ulama in its ranks.