Despite the launch of a new opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan last month, Islamic party PAS said the former Pakatan Rakyat still lives with the aid of PKR.

“PAS will strengthen Pakatan Rakyat and will reinforce ties between PAS and PKR along with several parties from the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak,” said PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

“The meeting with PKR last week came to an agreement to strengthen cooperation through discussions at state and Federal Territory levels.

“Pakatan without DAP is a political platform that is still intact and existing till today,” said in a statement last night.

He pointed to the cooperation between PAS and PKR in the Selangor and Kelantan governments as proof that this is possible.

Harapan was launched last month as the new pact between PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah, the latter headed by former PAS progressives.

Amanah itself was launched on Sept 16 after a split in PAS during the muktamar earlier this year, in which the progressives were obliterated from the party's leadership.

However, PKR has been insistent on continuing cooperation with PAS, which in Selangor has a significant political leverage on the PKR-led state administration.

DAP break 'paradigm shift'

He said those who had spread the rumour of a ‘Rawang Move’ to unseat Menteri Besar Azmin Ali were simply “jealous” and trying to create chaos in the state’s politics.

Tuan Ibrahim also justified PAS’ break with former Pakatan Rakyat partner DAP, a move that had led to the break up of the coalition, as necessitated by wanting to shed the image of being a “DAP tool”.

“The reality in Malaysia is that a shift in political axis and a total change in the country can only happen when the Malay-bumiputera axis makes a change.

“PAS’ move to break ties with DAP is seen as a huge shift in the eyes of Malay voters, as the burden that PAS had to bear to be accused of being DAP’s tool has been ripped out from PAS' political shoulder,” he said.

He added the current cost of living crisis and BN-Umno’s failure to administrate the country also requires a paradigm shift among the Malay voters.