PAS’ syura council secretary Nik Zawawi Nik Salleh has denied that the party had made plans to merge with Umno.

The syura council on Tuesday took “serious attention” to “slander made by certain quarters” that it had passed efforts for a merger between PAS and Umno, Nik Zawawi said today.

“We want to stress that there have been no discussions or decisions made for a merger between PAS and Umno,” he said in a statement.

Nik Zawawi ( photo ) added that PAS spiritual leader Haron Din and its president Abdul Hadi Awang, as well as other committee members in the syura council, had never expressed views supporting the merger.

“We call on all PAS members to reject this slander in order for us to strengthen the party,” Nik Zawawi said.

Hadi's claim raised eyebrows

Hadi had raised eyebrows on Tuesday when he claimed that all component parties in the opposition had agreed to form a unity government with BN.

He also said that Anwar and the former PAS spiritual leader, the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, had agreed to the idea.

Hadi ( photo ) said the idea had come about during the Perak constitutional crisis when there were attempts made by BN to woo Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons.

The idea of a unity government was revived after Umno and PAS assemblypersons in Kelantan unanimously passed a hudud bill amending the state Syariah Criminal Code II 1993 Enactment.

This is a step closer for PAS to realise its dream to implement hudud in Kelantan.

Nevertheless, PAS faces resistance from its allies DAP and PKR, which have made no secret about their opposition to the Islamic penal system.