Bersatu not worried about Umno-PAS talks, says youth chief

A Bersatu leader has stressed that his party is unfazed about rumoured talks between Umno and PAS, as claimed by government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil.

On the contrary, Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said Fahmi’s statement showed that Pakatan Harapan was desperate to split Perikatan Nasional’s unity.

“Bersatu is not worried about this because we are still with PAS in a registered coalition. Our focus now is to face the Nenggiri by-election, and we see that the cooperation between Bersatu and PAS has yielded good results at various levels since the 15th general election.

“They (Harapan) are afraid of PN’s strength that is gaining support from the people even though we are the (federal) opposition - who are under great pressure asserted by the government on various matters.

“The support of the people has not faded, despite numerous slander, restrictions, and then I was suspended for six months (from parliamentary duties)... It did not at all weaken the support and cooperation between the parties,” Wan Fayhsal (above) told Malaysiakini yesterday.

The Machang MP said this when asked if Bersatu was concerned following rumours there were “secret negotiations” between Umno and PAS.

This came after PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari on Monday claimed there were talks on both parties cooperating in the next national polls.

Fadhli alleged that several unofficial meetings involving the main leaders of both parties had taken place which touched on uniting the Malay vote.

He claimed Umno leaders expressed regret about the decision to be part of the coalition government.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has since shot down the rumour, saying no official meetings or discussions between the parties to form an electoral pact have taken place.

However, he did not rule out that certain quarters could have held meetings in their personal capacities.

Harapan’s modus operandi

Fahmi, in a presser yesterday, asserted that Bersatu should be “worried sick” about the matter.

The PKR information chief said Bersatu knows and understands they are a liability to PAS and PN.

In response, Wan Fayhsal said political enemies would try to break the relationship between Bersatu and PAS, claiming it was “Harapan’s modus operandi”.

“That’s what Fahmi has always done, since the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.

“Even if PAS meets with (the leaders of) Umno, that is their business. What is important is that we know that the Bersatu and PAS politicians, of the coalition we are in, always discuss within the PN framework to solve arising issues.

“In this case, there is no issue that PAS will betray Bersatu and so on because we are still fighting in the framework of PN.

“It is normal to meet Umno. We also meet Umno because we as Malay politicians have common issues,” he said, citing the issue of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd shares.

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