PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) urged Malay parties to work towards unity and avoid clashing with each other after Umno over the weekend endorsed its leadership's decision to part ways with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) at upcoming polls.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang called for Umno and Bersatu to be friendly towards each other and said he would continue to be the peacemaker in the row between the two parties.
"This is our unity agenda together so we shouldn't be hostile towards our friends. Instead, we need to strengthen our bonds. Let's not be the reason for discord. Have patience and make peace," he wrote on Facebook on Monday (March 29).
Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi had earlier delivered the same message at the PAS Federal Territory liaison meeting on Sunday.
The Marang MP's statement came after Umno decided to end its cooperation with Bersatu, the linchpin of the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, at the upcoming 15th general election.
Umno delegates also called for the party to re-assess its relationship with PAS under the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact. PAS remains a member in PN and is now caught between its commitment to the Muafakat charter and its role in PN.
At the assembly last Saturday, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and Youth chief Aysraf Wajdi Dusuki urged PAS to choose between Bersatu and Umno ahead of the next general election.
In his presidential address, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that he hoped the Muafakat pact would continue, as being on the same footing was advantageous to both parties.
"We are confident that this collaboration between us will receive support in the country's political landscape and open opportunities for Umno and Barisan Nasional to return to lead the nation," he said.
Mr Abdul Hadi, who had attended the general assembly at Umno's invitation, avoided questions from the media there.
Umno and PAS formed Muafakat Nasional, which means National Consensus in Malay, after Umno lost the 2018 general election and became the opposition.
The alliance was created with the intention to consolidate Malay voters against the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
Bersatu joined MN in August last year after the collapse of the PH government, as it hoped that a grand coalition of Malay Muslim parties could strengthen its mandate in Parliament, before the party fell out with Umno.
