ARAU: The decision to continue working with other parties including Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in Perlis is the stand of the Perlis UMNO Liaison Body.

This was the explanation by the chairman of the state UMNO Liaison Body, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who stressed that the decision was not personal in nature as alleged by the Kangar UMNO Division Chief, Datuk Seri Azlan Man.

Shahidan explained that apart from Arau and Padang Besar, the stand of Kangar UMNO Division was also the same and the division even submitted additional proposals that a leader must have integrity apart from not having any court case.

"This is not a personal (stand) ... this is the stand of Perlis UMNO. It cannot be changed.

"(UMNO Division) Arau and Padang Besar have a solid stance, Kangar also has the same stance.

“In fact, Kangar issued a proposal that leaders must be people with integrity, no court case," he said when met after a meeting with the UMNO Wanita Movement at the Kubang Gajah Service Centre near Arau, on Saturday.

The Arau MP explained that the stance of rejecting cooperation with Bersatu was for the next general election and not now.

Earlier, Azlan when asked to comment on Kangar UMNO Division's decision to support rejecting cooperation with Bersatu which was seen as inconsistent with Shahidan's stand recently, was reported to have said that the matter was Shahidan's personal stand.

Azlan said, as a member of the party, he respected the decision made at the highest level of the party, which was to reject cooperation with Bersatu in the 15th General Election (GE15).

According to Azlan, the stand to reject cooperation with Bersatu was a consensus decision of the UMNO Supreme Council (MT) and was ratified in the recent UMNO General Assembly.