PETALING JAYA, Oct 11 — Only a united opposition that can accommodate all views will be strong enough to challenge the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the next national polls, which is why PKR’s top leadership insisted today Pakatan Harapan embrace PAS and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) as members despite dissenting views from partners DAP and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali announced today his party is committed to welcoming both the conservative Islamist party and PSM into Pakatan Harapan, as well as other opposition parties from Sabah and Sarawak.

“PKR will continue its effort to build a strong opposition coalition that stands united and find solutions to the country’s critical issues.

“We aim to make Pakatan Harapan an inclusive coalition and make the membership one that is in tandem with the shared  principles between PAS, PSM and parties from Sabah and Sarawak,” Azmin told a news conference at his party’s headquarters here after its central leadership council meeting.

Azmin said PKR is currently taking steps to provide a “conducive environment” for more parties to be included into Pakatan Harapan, adding that it was crucial all the pact’s components stop their internal fights that will risk voter confidence in them.

He said unity among the parties is needed to build a grand coalition.

The PKR-DAP-Amanah pact was formed last month as a fresh opposition front to go against the might of the 13-party BN that have ruled since Independence in 1957.

The previous pact known as Pakatan Rakyat has collapsed earlier this year due after DAP and PAS refused to speak to each other; the latter party’s increasingly conservative stand led to a breakaway faction styling itself as moderate Islamist and which subsequently became Amanah.