GE15: Pas suspends talks with UMNO on seat allocations - Abdul Hadi

MARANG: Pas has suspended seat allocation discussions for the 15th General Election (GE15) with UMNO, saying that currently, the only negotiations are with Bersatu.

Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said negotiations with UMNO would continue after the party has a clear decision or direction on its cooperation with Bersatu in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) in facing GE15.

“There are now Pas leaders who are carrying out the task (seat allocation talks) with Bersatu. With UMNO, there used to be a committee formed but UMNO itself made changes mid-negotiations. As UMNO has issues currently, we will talk to Bersatu first,” he told reporters after delivering his Friday lecture online here yesterday.

Asked on the statement by State UMNO chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said who said the party wants to contest solo in Terengganu in GE-15, Abdul Hadi said this had not been finalised by UMNO's top leadership at the central level.

The Marang MP said Pas still called for Muslim unity as well as a diverse society to prevent factions and divisions.

“Muafakat Nasional (MN) is not just cooperation between Pas and UMNO ... it includes Bersatu. That is the common policy and principle that we have agreed before but the problem is that the UMNO leadership does not seem to follow, but that is their right.

“However, I understand that not everyone in UMNO is like that... so we want to unite the Malays. Not only Pas and UMNO Malays but many non-governmental organisations (NGOs), individuals, except those who are extreme… extreme Malays we reject,” he said.

Asked about the leaked audio recording purportedly between UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that has gone viral, Abdul Hadi stressed that Pas is consistent with its stand in rejecting any new form of political alignment to form a government after GE-15, especially those involving Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its allies.

-- BERNAMA