COMMENT Now that Umno president Najib Abdul Razak has just about succeeded in quelling rebellion within Umno and got the party around him, he seems to be moving to the next stage in his quest for political survival.

The news he will meet PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang next week at a gathering of alumni of Al Azhar university is indicative of the next step in his plan of survival.

After marginalising actual and potential critics in his own party, Najib is moving to divide the opposition by coaxing PAS into collaborative arrangements that will make the Islamist party’s presence in the opposition problematic to those among them who think that PAS can be relied on as a partner in an electoral pact.