Selangor PAS has backed a suggestion by the party’s Dewan Ulama to review its political cooperation (tahaluf siyasi) with Pakatan Rakyat.

NONE "We welcome the suggestion ... to review the cooperation ... particularly with PKR, and (we are) confident that quitting Pakatan is not the objective", said state commissioner Dr Abdul Rani Osman (right) .

"PAS loses nothing in working with PKR and DAP. (We in Selangor) feel that cooperation through Pakatan has brought about success and should continue. PAS has benefitted most through (such cooperation).”

Since the inception of PAS, he noted, the party has not experienced such a high level of acceptance among Malaysians in general.

Where Chinese Malaysians had previously ‘feared’ the party, they now flock to its ceramahs - this is something to be proud of, he said.

PAS needs to discuss and debate its weaknesses in the political cooperation, particular in seat overlapping during the general election and the way forward for the coalition to govern together, said Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Khalid Samad.

The Shah Alam parliamentarian also acknowledged the need to enhance understanding among party members, and to differentiate the party vision and allies’ consensus, as the party will implement those agreed together where Pakatan is concerned.

DPM's unity suggestion shot down

On a separate matter, PAS Selangor shot down the suggestion by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to unite Umno and Pas.

“Umno (leaders) are a strange kind of human being, they knock on your head, then ask you to become friends, later knock again and ask for friendship,” said Khalid.

As long as Umno is Umno, which practices cruelty, abuse of power, cronyism and corruption, there is no room for PAS to cooperate with Umno, he emphasised.

The past experience showed, Abdul Rani said jokingly, that Umno extend its friendship when the party is sinking or looming with a crisis.

It was reported that the deputy premier wanted to see both parties work as a team to continue enhancing the strength of Muslims in the country.

 

Meanwhile, Khalid said the media had not reported party president Hadi Awang correctly, particular pertaining that he has rejected the new policy on Bumiputera Economic Empowerment by BN to help bumiputera.

The new measure is a repackaging and window-dressing of the New Economic Policy which was introduced some 40 years ago but failed due to the political culture of Umno, which practices corruption and abuse of power, he said.

“I question those (news) reports which said Hadi rejected the new measure, (in fact) he didn’t,” he said, adding that he came to know about this during PAS’ central committee meeting, where Hadi spoke about the same thing.

“In fact, (such) affirmative action was accepted by Pakatan,” he said, addding that Pakatan also defends the special position of bumiputeras, beside upholding the federal constitution and Islam as the religion of the federation.

The party president only questioned BN’s seriousness about the new measure and he viewed this as a political tool to grab Malay support.

Hadi also wants to see no other races being left out in the process, he said.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last week has unveiled a slew of measures to prop up the bumiputera community, including requiring government-linked companies to set bumiputera participation targets.

Khalid advised party members not to fall into Umno's trap, to divide PAS into ulama and professionals factions.

“The issue of fights between ulama and professionals is the creation of Umno... I want to remind PAS members not to allow yourselves to extend such slander into the party.

“As for us, we don’t make such a differentiation, a statement is accepted due to its strength,” he said.