KUALA LUMPUR, 3 March — PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin has reportedly again insisted on the renewal of the Muafakat Nasional (MN) alliance with Umno.
Speaking to Mingguan Malaysia, he said the move is only being rejected by Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several top leaders while other grassroots members are still keen on it.
“Umno president and several top leaders were the only people rejected, but many in Umno actually wanted to work together in MN.
“When Umno rejects, people will also be able to assess who is actually creating obstacles towards cooperation within this MN,” he was quoted telling the Sunday edition of Utusan Malaysia.
Speaking further on the revival of MN, he contended that it would open a wide path to follow a more Islamic direction if the alliance were in power.
Despite Umno’s refusal to join MN, he said that the Islamic party never considered Umno as an enemy and had high hopes for MN to be revived.
“After signing the previous MN charter, issues such as boycotts, the enmity between the two parties have been resolved and the community has accepted this people’s unity agenda.
“I believe that this people’s unity agenda is easier to explore than in the past with the current atmosphere allowing us to move towards ummah unity,” he said.
Last month, two Umno leaders have reportedly chastised PAS for repeatedly bringing up the potential revival of the MN pact between the two Malay-majority parties.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi was quoted saying his party has decisively closed the chapter on this matter and accused PAS of attempting to sow division within the parties in the unity government.
Also speaking on the same matter, Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh emphasised that when discussing the importance of Islam and the unity of Malays, there is no need to consistently focus solely on the success of MN.
Formerly a union between PAS and Umno, MN was declared defunct ahead of the 15th general election. Its name has since been used by an unrelated non-government organisation led by former Umno leader Tan Sri Annuar Musa.