PETALING JAYA, July 17 — The bitter public dispute within Perikatan Nasional (PN) deepened today after Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia accused PAS of using “Machiavellian” tactics to sideline one of the coalition’s founding parties.
Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said PAS’ recent actions were at odds with the principles of Islamic politics and instead reflected an “ends justify the means” approach.
In a Facebook post today, he claimed PAS had sought to push Bersatu out of PN through political manoeuvring during negotiations and preparations for the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
“PAS’ actions in conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations, cutting ties with Bersatu ahead of the Johor state election, delaying PN’s preparations for the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls for certain purposes, and manoeuvring to remove Bersatu from PN are not the Islamic way, but PAS’ way.
“When the objective justifies whatever means are used, that is not a value taught by Islam but the practice of Machiavellian politics,” he said.
The remarks echoed complaints made earlier day by Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who alleged that the party had been marginalised within PN and that its rights as a founding member of the coalition had been denied, particularly in discussions over seat allocations for the Negeri Sembilan state election.
Muhyiddin said negotiations with Bersatu over the distribution of seats were not only discontinued but deliberately halted on what he described as unreasonable grounds.
Polling for the Negeri Sembilan state election is scheduled for August 1, with nomination tomorrow and early voting on July 28.
