Tuan Ibrahim claims Pakatan tarring PAS-Umno pact as racist for divide-and-conquer gambit

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has accused Pakatan Harapan of denouncing the PAS-Umno pact as racist for a “divide and conquer” strategy.

He said in the lead-up to its Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah gathering at the Putra World Trade Centre this Friday and Saturday, Pakatan’s machinery is becoming more aggressive in depicting the pact as racist and extremist.

“The doctrine of divide and conquer is synonymous with Pakatan’s agenda of naked power,” Tuan Ibrahim said in a statement.

He went as far as to accuse Pakatan of painting the campaign prioritising Muslim products as an agenda of boycotting non-Muslim goods.

“PAS wishes to guarantee that the agenda of ummah unity will not sideline the rights of non-Muslims, in accordance with Islamic teachings and as determined by the Federal Constitution. 

“Indeed, PAS has held many discussions with MCA and MIC before this, so as to correct any misunderstandings. God willing, the unity of the ummah will benefit the rakyat,” Tuan Ibrahim said.

The deputy president added that the political co-operation between the two largest Malay-Muslim parties in the country was not racist as PAS rejects any form of propaganda by Pakatan to depict it as one which could bring conflict.

“Pakatan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said in July that the Malays are fragmented. The PAS-Umno co-operation after the 14th general election to make the Malays cohesive again, is the main national political thrust by using Islam as the core of unity.

“A news report by the Straits Times in June quoted the Merdeka Centre and KRA Group, which revealed 95 per cent of Chinese voters and 75 per cent of Indian voters support Pakatan. Therefore it is not wrong for PAS and Umno to augment its strength among 70 per cent of the Malay voters,” he said.

Tuan Ibrahim said the pact is also to offset to Pakatan’s handling of sensitive issues, as seen in the issues related to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Unified Examination Certificate, local government elections, LGBT, as well as the special privileges of the Malays and Bumiputera.