Bersatu, PAS to strengthen cooperation amid ‘destabilising games’

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today said that Bersatu and PAS would continue to boost interparty cooperation, voicing regret over political squabbles which he said threatened stability and jeopardised the well-being of the people.

He said the two parties reached an agreement at a retreat this weekend to discuss efforts to strengthen cooperation up to the grassroots level.

The parties have also drawn up strategies to increase support for PN, he said.

Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and other senior leaders, he said PAS and Bersatu had agreed to support common principles based on the values of integrity, honesty, stability and inclusive unity.

“We also agreed to move towards a common vision to strengthen PN, reject the culture of extreme politics, and offer solutions for the restoration of the country,” he said.

This comes a day after Hadi hit out at the Umno court cluster whom he said were employing a “strategy” of causing state elections in an attempt to escape the criminal charges awaiting some party leaders.

Hadi also suggested that Umno had been ungrateful to PAS, which he said had stood by the BN lynchpin in the aftermath of its downfall at the 2018 general election.

This was his strongest statement against Umno since the two largest Malay-based parties made peace in 2019 by signing Muafakat Nasional, a charter of cooperation now seen as largely defunct.

The court cluster refers to a group of Umno leaders including former prime minister Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who are facing multiple corruption charges.

They were behind the plan last year to topple the government of Muhyiddin, who resigned after several MPs aligned with Najib revoked their support.

On the state election to come in Johor, Muhyiddin confirmed that PAS and Bersatu would work together under PN.

However, Muhyiddin who is Bersatu president said PN had yet to decide on a candidate list although talks would be held in the near future.

“We will discuss the matter and make a decision,” he said. “The important thing is our goal of contesting in order to obtain the mandate of the people to form a PN government.”

He said PN would use the same strategy employed in the recent Melaka election of fielding a combination of experienced and younger candidates.

When asked about the status of Muafakat Nasional, however, he declined to comment.

“Follow what Umno says,” he said.