KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Muafakat Nasional (MN) has decided to formally invite Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to join the informal pact, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced last night.

He said the pact’s steering committee has finalised the decision to make Bersatu’s entry official, after previously agreeing to this in principle.

"I and PAS president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) will sign the invitation to Bersatu based on this meeting,” he said.

This would put the country’s three ruling Malay-based parties under a single umbrella.

The three parties were thought to be allied via Perikatan Nasional, another informal coalition, but Zahid announced last month that his party would not join this if it were to be registered.

However, Bersatu and PAS have also continued efforts to formalise the PN coalition.

MN is an accord between Umno and PAS based on their mutual cooperation on matters related to Islam and the Malay community ostensibly without sidelining other issues of national concern.

MN was meant to be formalised in May this year but this was preempted by the Covid-19 pandemic.