July 14, will be a day of reckoning for Umno as it takes on PAS in Manek Urai, the backyard and playing field of Kelantan Menteri Besar and party spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

But for BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin, its better to take pre-emptive measures against one of Nik Aziz's pet topic - that a vote for PAS was requisite for entering heaven.

muhyiddin yassin universiti malaya 020609 According to Muhyiddin (left) , who is the son of a religious scholar, voting neither BN nor PAS would automatically allow Muslims to enter heaven.

Instead, he said that what prevents Muslims from entering heaven was the sins they had committed, and not their choices of political parties.

Muhyiddin told reporters this after attending a function in Sungai Sok, a village in the Malay majority rural state constituency of Manek Urai today.

Muhyiddin adds that the bottom-line was that both Barisan Nasional and PAS were parties that uphold Islamic struggles but the difference was that BN was capable of developing the country.

"BN's ability to develop the country is better than PAS under Nik Aziz," said Muhyiddin, according to Bernama .

‘Forgive and forget'

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin also wants PAS leaders to forgive and forget Umno's for their previous conflicts and expedite ‘unity talks' for the sake of Muslim unity.

"As Muslims, we are encouraged to forgive what was in the past," said Muhyiddin, in reference to the bitter experience PAS had while in BN during the late 1970s.

He said that such conflicts arose from the old administration in PAS and that the party's new crop of leaders sees things differently.

pas muktamar 55 general assembly 060609 01 As for the ‘unity talks', Muhyiddin said he hopes Umno and PAS leaders would meet within the next few days and it should involve only individuals from the parties.

"We will not impose any conditions and we accept whatever terms set by PAS. As far as I'm concerned, we have to be open," he said.

On Nik Aziz's recent outburst against PAS leaders who supported the unity government proposal with Umno, Muhyiddin said that what was more important was the commitment from PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

He adds that it was up to PAS to make the first move for the meetings to take place.

Nik Aziz a minority voice

Muhyiddin and Umno president Najib Abdul Razak have been pushing for the ‘unity talks' to explore the possibility of forming a unity government with PAS with increasing intensity.

So far, only their counterparts, Abdul Hadi and his deputy Nasharuddin Mat Isa, are the main proponents within PAS.

However, this proposal has been vehemently rejected by Nik Aziz who is technically the most powerful figure in the party, and has a strong grassroots following.

Meanwhile, Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan told Malaysiakini yesterday that Nik Aziz was the minority voice against the unity government.

"Umno does not seek to quarrel with Nik Aziz. Why should we entertain a minority voice? I'm confident the majority of Malays want a unity government because it will benefit the Malays and other groups," he said.