PAS once again reiterated its stand that the party has a right to forge cooperation with any parties, including Umno.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as having said that any cooperation with Umno will be focused on upholding Islam in Malaysia and not for any political interest.

So long as both parties can agree on a common goal that is to develop Islam, Hadi reportedly said it is not wrong for PAS to cooperate with a rival party.

Hadi, who is deputy president of the World Ulama Council, also argued that he had in the past been appointed by the federal government to lead a peace mission in Yemen, representing Muslims in Malaysia.

"At that time, the Malaysian government through Wisma Putra had instructed our embassy (in Yemen) to provide me with diplomatic assistance, as a peacemaker for the conflict.

"Through the diplomatic process, I had met with leaders who were in conflict and we finally found a peaceful resolution. This means that at that time we (PAS) had forged a cooperation with the government, and particularly with Umno," he reportedly said.

Hadi was responding to Amanah president Mohamad Sabu who had yesterday declared that any parties in cooperation with Umno-BN will be declared as its enemy.

This is aside from reiterating Amanah's stand that Umno is its mortal enemy.