KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Amanah vice-president Datuk Husam Musa called out to his former party PAS to rethink its political alliance with Umno and join the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) instead.
He said that if the Islamist party changed sides, it could even be part of the federal government this term instead of risking its chances on winning power in the 15th general election due in four more years.
“It has reached a time for those in PAS to start thinking of other options. Why is PAS not together with PH? If PAS joins PH now, they can be part of the government and at the next General Elections they can form the government again,” he told Sinar Harian in an interview published today.
According to Husam, the PAS-Umno alliance would cause infighting within the Opposition bloc over election seat allocations with the other Barisan Nasional components trying to maintain a hold on their ethnic voter base even as Malaysians are moving away from racial politics.
He said that the political landscape both locally and globally is changing, and urged PAS leverage on the opportunity to restructure itself.
“We can restructure and reconstructure, that is the opportunity for PAS to move forward in the future.
“Think soundly for the sake of Malaysia’s future, in terms of cores of leadership, the holding ideologies, and (being) tactful political activists within the Malaysian context.
“But, if we call PAS, for sure we would have to ‘cleanse’ PAS with several ‘baths and perfumes’ which are suitable with PH’s politics,” he was quoted saying.
Husam questioned PAS’ interest in working with Umno now after being part of the alliance that sought to topple the Malay nationalist from power for the past 60 years.
“Why only after they (BN) are dead and buried PAS decide to give them vitamins to revive them? When it (BN) was alive, we injected the venom for it to die.
“This is all meaningless work that shows no political vision,” he told Sinar Harian.
