It is better to have the Malays unite via the PAS-Umno alliance than through Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's co-operation with DAP, Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today.

The Umno vice-president said this in a statement in response to Mahathir, who in a recent interview with the New Straits Times lamented the change overtaking the party he once helmed for over two decades, saying Umno is now “becoming PAS”.

The opposition has now resorted to playing up racial and religious issues in order to survive, instead of concentrating on the government, Mahathir had said.

Khaled said that no matter whether Umno becomes PAS or vice-versa, what matters is Malay unity.

"The Malays are no longer fragmented like what Tun Mahathir has seen and allowed to happen all this while.

"It is also better for the Malays to be united via the Umno-PAS cooperation, rather than working with DAP, as Mahathir does," he said, further calling the prime minister a 'DAP spokesperson'.

"Everything the party that Tun once called racist, chauvinistic and irresponsible does, he defends now."

This shows that principles and ideologies do not matter to him, and only power does, claimed Khaled.

He further thanked Mahathir for continuing to 'care' for Umno-related affairs, despite being on the other side of the divide.