UMNO is refusing to cooperate with Bersatu because of the party’s track record of betrayals, various leaders said in response to PAS which has been harping on the two Malay parties’ inability to work together.

PAS should look at itself and ask why it could not accept its splinter party, Amanah, as a partner in securing the Malay-Muslim vote, the Umno leaders said.

PAS should also stop making comparisons with the partnership Umno has with non-Muslim parties MCA and MIC under Barisan Nasional, which has lasted six decades, they added.

They were responding to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who questioned why Umno was so adamant about not cooperating with Bersatu. PAS and Bersatu are allies under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. Both are also in government with Umno.

Hadi, speaking after the PAS muktamar (general assembly) on Saturday, asked why Umno willingly worked with non-Muslim parties like MCA and MIC.

“If Umno can work with MCA and MIC to form the government, why can’t it work with PAS and Bersatu?” Hadi said during a press conference after the muktamar in Kuala Terengganu.

To this, Umno Supreme Council Member Razlan Rafii said Umno had plenty of proof of Bersatu’s “betrayals”.

One of these was PAS’ decision to formally join the PN coalition with Bersatu when it already had a political pact with Umno under Muafakat Nasional (MN).

He also challenged PAS’ rhetoric against Amanah, which was formed in 2015 after the PAS assembly that year voted out its “progressive” leaders who decided to remain allies with PKR and DAP.

“Why don’t they accept Amanah if they want us to accept Bersatu?” Razlan said.

He also cited as another betrayal, the fielding of non-aligned candidates in seats where Umno contested in the Sabah elections last year, causing votes for Umno to be split. This was believed to be orchestrated by Bersatu, despite being in government together with Umno.

“Bersatu’s betrayals of Umno are uncountable. From the Sabah state elections to the appointment of ministers during Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration.

“Whereas, MCA and MIC have been with Umno for more than 60 years and they have never left BN even after it lost federal power in the 14th general election,” Razlan said.

PAS must be honest, he added, on why it prefers to work with Bersatu and PN despite having the MN pact with Umno.

“Is it because of ministerial posts given to them? What happened to the (Muafakat) agreement that was made in 2019?” asked Razlan.

PAS’ cooperation with Bersatu began after Pakatan Harapan (PH) was ousted from the federal government following the Sheraton Move in February last year.

PAS and Bersatu agreed to form Perikatan Nasional, a majority-Malay coalition, which did not include Umno.

In the upcoming Malacca elections, PAS will be contesting under the PN banner instead of cooperating with Umno.

Umno will go to the polls with MCA and MIC under the BN logo.

Razlan also said Umno knew of Bersatu’s goal, which is to replace Umno as the dominant Malay party.

“We know their ‘grand scheme’. We know (Bersatu secretary-general) Hamzah Zainudin, we know that (PAS secretary-general) Takiyuddin Hassan holds meetings at (Bersatu’s headquarters in) Publika.”

Former Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Adam agreed, saying Umno was bullied by Bersatu even after it gave its chief Muhyiddin support as prime minister.

“At the beginning, Bersatu seemed to accept our advice but when they got more power, Umno was sidelined. The biggest party should have put up the PM candidate, but we allowed them, even as the smallest party, to lead.

“Yet, they did not have the courtesy to name the deputy prime minister,” said Lokman.

Political observer Dr Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) said Hadi was trying to use the “Muslim unity” card in his complaints about Umno.

This is an oft-used theme by Malay parties to garner support as it rides on the idea that all Malay-Muslim voters must vote Malay leaders who will ensure the community and religion’s interests are protected.

“Umno, as a Malay nationalist party, has also been championing Malays and Islam all this while, but when the opportunity to strengthen a Malay-Muslim coalition arises (with Bersatu), Umno has refused.

“Hence Hadi is questioning Umno’s motive and sincerity in upholding Islam and the Malays,” Mazlan said. – November 8, 2021.