KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Malays should unite behind PAS if they are sincere in wanting an Islamic government that is corruption-free, the Islamist party’s vice-president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said today.

Dismissing calls for PAS and Umno  to form a unity government, Tuan Ibrahim stressed that his party has never discussed joining forces with Umno and questioned if the ruling Malay nationalist party could be trusted, pointing out that Putrajaya has long refused Kelantan oil royalties or funds for infrastructure development.

“If the rationale is for Malay unity, then let the Malays support PAS for a new Islamic government and let them no longer be seen as a community that can accept corruption and abuse of power as part and parcel of the Umno government,” Tuan Ibrahim said in a statement today.

“Corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement of the economy and the use of draconian laws to silence the people must be stopped. This cannot be achieved with a corrupt Umno,” he added.

Former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad told PAS last Sunday to join Barisan should the ruling coalition lose the next general election, in order to protect Malay interests and the position of Islam.

Abdul Hamid’s renewed proposal for a PAS-Umno unity government came after PAS spiritual adviser and Chempaka assemblyman Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat — who had remained adamant against the Islamist party allying with Umno — died on February 12 from prostate cancer.

Kelantan Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed reportedly said recently that BN may not contest the by-election in the Chempaka state constituency in Kelantan.

Tuan Ibrahim noted today that Umno has opposed hudud law for decades and mocked the Islamic penal code and claimed that its top leadership does not use the Quran or Hadiths as guidance.

“Why would Umno suddenly want to help PAS implement it?” he said.

PAS is planning to table amendments to Kelantan’s hudud law in the state legislative assembly next month in a bid to enforce the enactment that was passed back in 1993.

“PAS will not ally with Umno. This is our stand,” said Tuan Ibrahim.