Who wants PAS-Umno unity?

By Gan Pei Ling | The Nut Graph,


For an Islamic state

“Jika Umno dan PAS bekerjasama banyak perkara boleh dilaksanakan termasuk hukum hudud berbanding tindakannya bekerjasama dengan DAP dan PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) yang ternyata mempunyai dasar dan matlamat perjuangan yang berbeza.”

Lokman Nor Adam, who represented the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry’s special affairs department, commenting during an 11 July 2010 forum titled Can Malay Malaysians unite?. The former PKR member said it would be impossible for PAS to set up an Islamic state without cooperating with Umno to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament. (Source: Malaysia mudah asal dasar Islam jika PAS, Umno bersatu, Utusan Malaysia, 11 July 2010)

For Muslim unity

“Semua pihak di dalam kedua-dua parti itu harus sedar bahawa kegagalan mereka menjalinkan kerjasama dalam isu-isu disepakati akan terus melemahkan kedudukan umat Islam di negara ini.”

Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) president Razak Idris, suggesting the establishment of a special committee for Umno-PAS cooperation. He said both parties should set aside old grudges and work together to unite Muslims.
Following Lokman and Razak’s statements, Utusan Malaysia got both PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to comment on the idea. Both were quoted as saying they were open to cooperation between both parties. (Source: Wujudkan jawatankuasa khas, Utusan Malaysia, 12 July 2010)

For Malay Malaysian unity

”Kalau kita terus berpecah-belah, kita akan terima kekalahan (pada PRU-13), itu sahaja. Dan akan berlaku satu bentuk penjajahan baru.”

Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, claiming that Malay Malaysians would lose power in the next general election if Umno and PAS still refused to unite. He went on to claim that leaders from both parties had consulted him about unity between both parties. (Source: Melayu hilang kuasa pada PRU-13?, Utusan Malaysia, 17 July 2010)

Umno: We can talk

“I do not want to make any more statements because the Umno deputy president (Muhyiddin) has already issued a statement … I just want to say that Umno is itself strong, and it is not that we are too weak that we have to forge a new friendship with PAS.”

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, commenting on the issue of cooperation between Umno and PAS.
On 13 July, Muhyiddin said Umno was open to working together with PAS on economic and cultural issues apart from “building unity for the good of the ummah and country”. He added that non-Muslims should not feel threatened by these talks.
On 18 July, Najib said PAS should stop criticising Umno and imposing preconditions if the party was serious in wanting to hold talks with Umno on Malay Malaysian unity. (Source: Umno not too weak as to forge new friendship with PAS – Najib, Bernama, 14 July 2010)

PAS: Not a chance

“PAS is not open to any discussions with Umno. The issue is closed. We are with Pakatan Rakyat and that’s final.”

Nik Aziz, commenting on certain parties’ attempts to revive unity talks between Umno and PAS. Bernama also reported on 16 July that the Kelantan menteri besar was only willing to meet Muhyiddin to discuss cooperation between the state and federal governments, especially on the issue of oil royalty.
PAS vice-presidents Salahuddin Ayub and Mahfuz Omar also refuted Harussani’s claim that PAS leaders had approached the Perak mufti to help mediate talks between Umno and PAS. Both said their party would not work with Umno. (Source: Embrace Islamic policies first, Nik Aziz tells Umno, Free Malaysia Today, 16 July 2010)