Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has regarded PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's condemnation and accusations against Umno as baseless and merely for political expediency.

"I've read carefully what had been stated by the PAS president at the muktamar (PAS 57th Muktamar/General Assembly) against Umno and BN.

"He totally denied all the good things (done by the government) and blamed the ills happening in Malaysia on the alleged tyranny and the absence of a proper Islamic education system.

"To me, the statement is extreme, unIslamic, baseless and ill-intended because political expediency is above everything (for Hadi).

"It is a political statement. As a religious leader, one should make a statement based on facts and not deny what is right. Speaking the truth makes one a credible leader," he said.

NONE Muhyiddin ( right ) was speaking to reporters after opening a symposium on managing mosques and surau in the Federal Territory in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said the welfare state concept now only being championed by PAS, had for long been practised by the BN government.

"If PAS today says that it is abandoning its struggle for the establishment of an Islamic state and wants to set up a welfare state, Malaysia has already done much more than what PAS means by welfare state.

"We do not practise the welfare state concept of the West but we've taken the Islamic approach by helping the weak, poor and destitute, and by giving subsidies, free education from the early to the secondary level, and health and medical assistance at the (government) hospitals, among others," he said.

On PAS' stand not to cooperate with Umno, Muhyiddin said PAS chose the narrow path by cooperating with only those quarters which could serve its own vested interest.

"If that is its stand, never mind then. But Umno is still leaving the door open for cooperation with PAS.

"For the good of the ummah (Muslim community), we've never closed that door as doing good is enjoined by the religion. Whether PAS wants to accept it (to cooperate with Umno) or not, is another matter.

"Our call for cooperation is not for politics, but for the well-being of the ummah.

"That's the difference between Umno and PAS. Umno looks at the bigger picture...for the ummah, whereas PAS is all about the party. So, if you want to say which is better, I think Umno is the better party," Muhyiddin said.

- Bernama