PAS must declare if it will continue to work with PKR, after Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaafar left the Islamist party for PKR, PAS Mahfuz Omar said.
The Pokok Sena MP said this is because PAS earlier burned bridges with disgruntled members, including several MPs, who left PAS to join splinter group Parti Amanah Rakyat.
"Those who quit PAS, particularly MPs who joined Amanah, are branded as traitors and PAS will not work with traitors.
"Can PAS still work with PKR who had taken in a 'PAS traitor'," he said in a statement today.
To date, four disgruntled MPs have left PAS to form Amanah. Kamaruddin is the only MP from PAS to choose PKR instead.
The move, however, received Amanah endorsement with Shah Alam MP and Amanah representative Khalid Samad present during the announcement.
PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yesterday announced that Kamaruddin and former Selangor Menteri Besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib have left PAS to join PKR.
Mahfuz (photo) , who is former PAS information chief and seen as close to those unhappy with PAS’ conservative leadership, chose to remain in PAS.
Mahfuz said he was surprised by Kamaruddin's move but believed it to be a wider plan to forge a new opposition coalition.
However, he questioned whether PAS can be part of the new coalition as it refused to work with Amanah or DAP and its sole ally has taken its MP.
Earlier, PAS election director Mustafa Ali said PAS will not field any candidates in constituencies contested by PKR in the next general election to honour its political cooperation with PKR.
This is in contrast with seats contested by DAP with whom PAS’ cooperation has been disbanded, Mustafa reportedly said.
"Will PAS go in alone in Malaysian politics and will it contest all seats nationwide in the 14th general election?
"As a PAS member that remains steadfast with the party, I hope PAS will not be sidelined and can reposition itself in Malaysia's mainstream politics," he said.
Yesterday, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said he will wait for PAS Kelantan to give a report on Kamaruddin's defection.
PAS vice-president Iskandar Abdul Samad said it is better for PAS members to join PKR than Amanah which "only wants to destroy PAS".
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