KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 ― Umno supreme council member Tan Sri Annuar Musa said it was the prerogative of PAS to support the formalisation of Perikatan Nasional despite the two parties’ partnership in Muafakat Nasional.
He said this was not a contradiction of the charter the two signed to form the MN pact.
“The involvement of PAS and several other parties to sponsor the establishment of PN is their right and does not violate the MoU or MN charter.
“Umno maintains its stand of not wanting to join a new party and will instead continue working with those with stands similar to Umno’s policy objectives,” he said.
Former rivals Umno and PAS allied through the MN pact following the collapse of Barisan Nasional in the wake of its 2018 general election defeat.
However, the leaders of both parties also serve in the PN federal administration that took control from Pakatan Harapan in March.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said his party would refuse to join PN if it were to be formalised but PAS has indicated that it would support this.
Bersatu, the ruling party of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has also been provisionally accepted into MN.
The arrangement has led to a convoluted web of alliances that span PN, MN, and BN although only the last is an official entity recognised by the Registrar of Societies at the moment.
