KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — A senior Umno lawmaker today lauded the formation of a new opposition pact by PAS and Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan) as being similar in concept to Barisan Nasional (BN).
Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) chief Tan Sri Shahrir Samad also said PAS’s decision to work with another party not from the Pakatan Harapan was laudable as it would create a more open and mature environment in local politics.
“This is a good move that makes it more inclusive. This is good for our national politics… when PAS brings a more inclusive concept, like BN been all these while.
“The impact to the country’s political maturity is better,” he told reporters when met outside the Dewan Rakyat today.
Shahrir, who is Johor Baru MP, said that PAS’s collaboration with Ikatan disproved former ally DAP’s claim that the Islamist party was not inclusive.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and his Ikatan counterpart Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir announced their new alliance in a news conference at the Islamist party’s headquarters here today.
PAS previously formed a partnership with PKR and DAP as Pakatan Rakyat after the landmark Election 2008. Their pact crumbled last year following disagreements between the conservative Islamist party and the DAP.
PKR and DAP went on to form Pakatan Harapan with PAS offshoot, Amanah. PAS was invited to join, but declined to do so and maintained that PR was functional with just it and PKR the remaining members.
DAP today suggested that the new alliance now meant that a vote for PAS equated to a vote for Umno.
