PETALING JAYA, Oct 8 — PAS was able to widen its support base when it had partnered DAP, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said after the Islamist party insisted it will not join any coalition containing its former ally.

Dr Mahathir’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is seeking to broker peace between the two warring parties in order to form a so-called "grand coalition” to face Barisan Nasional in the next general election.

"That is very sad. In fact, when PAS worked with DAP, they had more support because the Chinese people voted for PAS,” the former prime minister said during a press conference after attending the Malaysian Freedom Summit here today.

"I will speak to PAS, and tell them that if there are three-cornered fights, they are helping BN win,” he added.

Dr Mahathir also said that he would not like to "stress on the differences” he has with PAS, but instead on their similarities such as the desire to oust Barisan Nasional.

The former prime minister has publicly criticised PAS’s attempts to implement hudud, the Islamic penal code, in Kelantan.

He also said that it is "premature” to talk about the prime minister candidate should the grand coalition form the next government.

"The coalition has to decide together. When I said (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as PM) I was just speaking from my party perspective,” he added.

Dr Mahathir’s unilateral declaration of Muhyiddin as the opposition’s choice for prime minister was rejected by DAP, which said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was Pakatan Harapan’s sole choice for the position.