Kedah UMNO prepared to cooperate with PAS for sake of Malay community and Islam

Kedah UMNO is prepared to establish cooperation with PAS at the state level in the interest of the Malay community and Islam.

Kedah UMNO Liaison Committee chairman, Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said the cooperation, however, should first start at the federal level.

"The cooperation forged through the 'Food Flotilla for Myanmar' mission signifies unity of the ummah (Muslim community) in Malaysia as there are representatives from UMNO and PAS in this humanitarian aid mission.

"We at the (Kedah) state level has no problem with the PAS leadership here although there is some understanding, but this is normal in politics," he said after attending a meeting of the four wings in the Alor Setar UMNO division at Seri Mentaloon, here, today.

Ahmad Bashah, who is also Kedah Menteri Besar, said although there was no official cooperation yet between the two parties at the state level, it did not mean that cooperation could not be established.

"We leave the cooperation matter to the top leadership of both parties while we at the grassroot level, will always support and assist on anything good that is pursued by both the UMNO and PAS leaders in the interest of the Malays and Islam," he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Bashah said the opposition had no reason to question the provision of allocations to the parliamentary constituencies represented by Barisan Nasional (BN) in Kedah.

He said they should understand that the allocations provided by the federal government were only for the members of Parliament from BN while those from the opposition should look for their own funds.

"In fact, the BN representatives who had lost (in the elections) have to find funding for the their own areas.

"That is why UMNO is determined to wrest back the parliamentary seats it lost to ensure that the constituents could benefit through the development projects planned," he added. - BERNAMA