KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — Two Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders today described Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s claims that cooperation with DAP was better than PAS as nonsensical and absurd.
According to news portal Malaysiakini, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said it was Mohamad who didn’t stick to his words on the party's previous "No DAP, No Anwar” stance, and questioned his integrity for working with Pakatan Harapan (PH) to form the unity government after the 15th general election.
"Just after the election results, he (Mohamad) was at my house on Sunday morning.
"What he told me was that if the Umno president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) wanted to work with DAP, he would be the first person to oppose it.
"That's why when he said DAP is more sincere than PAS, I said what’s wrong with this person,” said Hamzah while delivering a speech at PN's flood relief ceremony in Wakaf Bahru, Tumpat today.
Hamzah was referring to Mohamad’s speech at Umno’s annual general meeting (AGM) yesterday, where he described their working experience with PN’s Islamic component party PAS as "insincere and not loyal”.
Meanwhile, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said Mohamad’s statement that the Islamist party "wants to kill" Umno, was made under duress.
In a statement today, he said the country’s political history has shown that it was Umno who has seemed determined to annihilate PAS, citing an attempt to ban the party in the past.
“On the other hand, as a party that puts Islam as its principle, PAS is always determined and acts to approach Umno in efforts to unite Muslims and Malays, who are the majority in this country.
“Efforts to unify the ummah (Muslim community) were also initiated across people of various races and religions to create a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere via democratic channels and based on the rule of law,” he said.
He said PAS will continue to be open and ready to hold meetings and negotiations with any parties.
