GE15: Pas will meet UMNO's top leadership soon

BANTING: Pas will hold a meeting with UMNO's top leaders soon to discuss the direction of cooperation between them for the 15th General Election (GE15).

Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the cooperation involved 27 parliamentary seats as well as seats in several states such as Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang which they have the potential to win if there was an agreement between them.

"If not on all seats (agreement on cooperation between UMNO-Pas), maybe in certain places. It is not impossible," he told a press conference in conjunction with the launch of the Selangor Pas election machinery here last night.

However, he said any Pas discussions with parties outside the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition will be reported to the PN Presidential Council to find the best way for a political consensus.

Pas is a component of PN with the other parties in it being Bersatu, Sabah STAR, SAPP and Gerakan.

Commenting on the three conditions set by UMNO to Pas for them to return to the negotiating table regarding cooperation to face GE15, Tuan Ibrahim said the consensus framework needs to discuss points of commonality.

Yesterday, UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said that UMNO will return to the negotiating table with Pas regarding cooperation in GE15 if Pas meets three conditions but did not reveal what they were and that they had been conveyed to the party.

Meanwhile, Pas secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan in a statement today said the party welcomed Ahmad Zahid's statement which expressed his openness to revive the ummah (Muslim) unification agenda following the four-eyed meeting between the presidents of UMNO and Pas on Sept 17.

"Pas reiterates its commitment to be together in all efforts towards achieving the unification of the ummah, especially among Malays and Muslims based on Verse 10 of Surah al-Hujurat which emphasises the issue of peace between Muslims who are at odds in some of their affairs," he said.

Takiyuddin said Pas still hoped that a true unification of the ummah can be realised between the main Malay and Muslim parties in the country.

"Pas hereby takes the stance of studying UMNO's openness in this regard and will make a final decision before this weekend, taking into account the aspects of maslahah (the greater good) and the least mudhorat (risk)," he said.

The statement was in response to Ahmad Zahid also saying yesterday that UMNO has never closed the door to the unification agenda, including in the party's political cooperation with Pas, which is the basis of the country's political stability.

In a related development, Pas spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin at a party event in IPOH yesterday said the Pas will not give up on the unity agenda with UMNO and Bersatu and that both these parties need to work towards unity and solve arising problems by sticking to the goal (ummah unity agenda).

-- BERNAMA