KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — PAS formally ended cooperation with PKR today, with the Islamist party’s powerful Syura Council deciding this was necessary to defend its Islamic agenda.
In a statement, the Syura Council accused PKR of breaking the terms of its conditional cooperation with PAS. The two parties had retained a working relationship despite the demise of the Pakatan Rakyat pact.
It said PKR failed to support PAS’s Islamic agenda such as the private members’ Bill to enhance the Shariah sentencing, attacked the Islamist party and made hurtful accusations.
The Syura Council also accused PKR of betraying PAS by working with parties allegedly working to unseat the Kelantan government. It also alleged that PKR attacked the Islamist party during the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections last year.
“Any political decision including the Selangor government’s administration will be left to the PAS central working committee to be decided with the interest of Islam and the people as a priority,” the statement said.
PAS resolved to end its working relationship with PKR during its annual assembly earlier this month.
The party’s detractors continue to accuse it of cozying up to Umno for variety of reasons that range from Malay-Muslim unity to being bought off.
PAS’s separation from the larger Opposition could lead to multi-cornered contests in the general election that would be advantageous to the ruling BN, with some analyses predicting that the Islamist party could end up the biggest loser.
