Hadi: PAS to continue co-operation with Umno, but will stay independent (VIDEO)

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 ― PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has insisted that the Islamist party’s co-operation with former nemesis Umno will be limited to only “good things.”

However, the Marang MP said PAS will continue to be independent, with “its own attitude.”

“We will proceed with the ‘taawun’ concept, that is to co-operate on good things,” Hadi said in a recent interview with New Straits Times.

The video of the interview was uploaded on his Facebook page today.

This comes as the pact between the two Opposition parties has failed to bring results in the last three by-elections.

Umno contested in the Sungai Kandis by-election, the first to be called after GE14. It sat out the twin polls last Saturday in Balakong — which was contested by fellow Barisan Nasional partner MCA — and Seri Setia, which PAS contested, but campaigned for its former rival.

Last week, Umno and PAS finally formalised their political alliance when both parties campaigned jointly for the Islamist party’s candidate in Seri Setia, Dr Halimah Ali.

The announcement was made by PAS election director Roslan Shahir, Selangor PAS commissioner Sallehen Mukhyi and Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

But in all three by-elections, Pakatan Harapan claimed victory.

In response, Umno’s Senator Khairul Azwan Harun called for his party to distance itself from “far-right” PAS and revisit its moderate and centrist political approach, as the pact has been ineffective.

In the interview, Hadi downplayed any perception that PAS “has no backbone” for allying itself with Umno despite insisting on going it alone, after the Pakatan Rakyat pact was dissolved.

“It is not an issue because we realise our role as Opposition in the Parliament. There are matters that we support and there are matters we are against,” he was quoted saying.