PAS has finally made it clear its cooperation with Umno under the Muafakat Nasional (MN) banner is over and it would prefer to work with the Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Party president Abdul Hadi Awang said MN, an alliance formed in 2018, is an incomplete union without the participation of the non-Malays.

“PAS rejects MN as this union is shackled by a cooperation only Umno and PAS. PAS is against an ideology that denies the existence of a multiracial society that needs to be under a bigger notion that is Perikatan Nasional,” Hadi said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

He said PAS could still accept MN, but only if it is not in conflict with PN’s larger and more powerful agenda of uniting the people.

Hadi’s statement comes after the party suffered a beating under the PN banner at the Malacca elections last weekend. The coalition had won two seats but PAS did not win any.

The polls saw Barisan Nasional (BN) return to power with a majority win of 21 seats while its rival Pakatan Harapan (PH) picked up five seats.

PAS’ defeat raised questions about the Islamist party’s future – if it should dump PN and work on strengthening its ties with Umno under the MN banner.

However, the Marang MP’s statement today has made it clear that it is abandoning MN.

Prior to his statement today, Hadi had been vocal about having a Malay-Muslim government lead the country.

In 2019, he was quoted as saying that hell awaits Muslims if non-Muslims were allowed to lead the country.

In October the same year, he said it was forbidden for people of Islamic faith to surrender power to non-Malays.

However, the Marang MP today appeared to accept that the political tsunami in the last general election had changed the country’s political landscape.

“Thus, the political tsunami that occurred in the last GE could cripple the structure of the country, which really needs a change. The first step was the formation of MN, which was incomplete and can only be completed with PN.

“Therefore, PAS must not be shackled or dragged down by any other understanding. PAS is moving with a clear concept of Islam.

“PAS only accepts a complete MN in which all the terms have been agreed without going against the agenda of uniting the people through PN’s political ideas,” Hadi said.

He slammed those who accused PAS of being a party that begs for power.

“PAS is only ready to be the saviour of the country with concepts and principles based on its struggle to save the entire nation. It is not due to a particular person or group and tribe alone.

“In fact, PAS is not a party that solicits sympathy like beggars without dignity in Islam,” he said.

MN was formed between Umno and PAS after the two parties lost in the 2018 general election.

At first, the coalition’s objective was to garner the support of Malays to reject PH in the 15th general election.

However, when PH was toppled in the “Sheraton Move” and PN was formed in 2020, PAS decided to align itself with Bersatu instead of Umno.

Bersatu president and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was behind PN’s formation. – November 26, 2021.