Shahidan to run with 'PAS, Bersatu support', Annuar teases Muafakat platform

Incumbent Arau MP Shahidan Kassim is puzzling over the symbol he will use to run in the Nov 19 general election.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, the candidate who was dropped by BN said enigmatically that only the "unification of Umno, Bersatu and PAS" ticket was available to him now.

"Competing like this, you can interpret it yourself but I believe that PAS will support me, Umno will support me, Bersatu will support me.

"So what party should I name? Think about it," he added.

Shahidan (above) has served four terms as Arau MP from 1986 to 1995 and again from 2013 to 2022, besides a 13-year spell as Perlis menteri besar from 1995 to 2008.

The former federal territories minister from Umno said that his candidacy under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) umbrella was a sign of opposition to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who axed him from defending his seat for BN.

"I will be a candidate against Zahid.

"I am not against the BN candidate in Arau (Rozabil Abd Rahman), I will oppose Zahid because Zahid is someone who broke trust, cheated and he has a court case (so) he should not be eligible to be chosen as a candidate," Shahidan added.

Muafakat in Ketereh?

Elsewhere, another discarded Umno stalwart Annuar Musa appeared to be teasing a possible run in his incumbent constituency of Ketereh under a Muafakat Nasional banner.

Annuar who was removed from his position as BN secretary-general due to his determination to work with PAS and Bersatu, put up a social media post which included a T-shirt for Ketereh, a logo with Muafakat and documents purportedly showing the registration of Muafakat.

"God willing, there is still a base to continue to serve on the path of goodness and welfare, especially inviting towards the unification of the ummah (community).

"Islam and the Malays must remain strong and powerful. We are strong if we are united, led with a clear direction by quality leadership.

"Even if you are thrown away, you must remain an honourable fighter," the communications and multimedia minister said.

Muafakat was a charter of cooperation signed between Umno and PAS in 2019. However, it fell by the wayside once PAS and Bersatu began to work together in PN.

Checks by Malaysiakini on the Registrar of Societies website found a number of organisations with the same name, none of which matched the Umno-PAS alliance. They are mostly welfare organisations.

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