Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan) will only be a burden to PAS, instead of making it “third force” between BN and Pakatan Harapan, an Umno veteran said.

Association of Former Elected Representatives (Mubarak) president Abdul Aziz Rahman said this of the alliance between PAS and Ikatan announced today.

Ikatan, he said, does not have representatives and its president, Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, has never had political clout in the new political area.

“Cooperating on a social basis is okay, but politically, I don't see the impact.

“I don't see the benefit. Ikatan is very new and they don't have elected representatives so this would possibly be a burden to PAS,” he told reporters at Mubarak’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

This, he said, also reduces PAS’ chances of cooperating with other parties.

“There’s (simply) no benefit in ganging up with Ikatan which does not have any influence,” he added.

Ikatan was formed in 2012, but was only registered last year after Kadir, a former Umno supreme council member and cabinet minister, dragged the Registry of Societies (ROS) to court.

The party aims to champion the ideas of the nation’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

No one wants to be friends with PAS

Also dismissing the pact is former PAS central committee member Hanipa Maidin, who questioned the logic given the parties' disagreement on hudud.

"When PAS was in Pakatan Rakyat we also agreed to disagree on hudud. That's why PAS pulled out from Pakatan.

"So it doesn't make sense for PAS (to work with Ikatan)," Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin told reporters outside the Parliament lobby today.

The Amanah lawmaker was commenting on the new alliance PAS forged with Ikatan today.

Kadir had refused to commit when asked whether or not his party supports hudud.

"In the end, the people decide whether they want it implemented or not," Kadir said.

When asked if the new third force coalition would strengthen PAS, Hanipa bluntly said: "No."

"Actually, PAS needs to be in Harapan but no one wants to be friends with PAS," he said.

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