KUALA LUMPUR: Pas will not cooperate with Umno as long as Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi remains the party's President.
This was stated by Pas Deputy President, Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, in response to Ahmad Zahid's earlier statement that Umno would not collaborate with Pas if Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang continues to lead the party.
"Pas will not cooperate as long as Ahmad Zahid is the President. The result of the Sungai Bakap by-election is a clear signal that Perikatan Nasional (PN) is capable of facing the 16th General Election (GE) with the strength that PN has," he said when contacted.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid, who is also BN Chairman said that Abdul Hadi, who is also the Marang Member of Parliament, has been inconsistent with decisions agreed upon in face-to-face discussions.
Conversely, Tuan Ibrahim is confident that as long as Ahmad Zahid leads Umno, it will be 'good news' for PN.
"The rejection of Malay and even Chinese voters in the by-election clearly shows that the people reject the government. I am confident that as long as Ahmad Zahid leads Umno, it is good news for PN.
"Because it will drive Umno members towards PN, and it will be a liability for the PH-BN government," he said.
He added that Abdul Hadi has achieved significant success for Pas in its historical struggle, indicating he is on the right path.
"Furthermore, the Pas President remains steadfast on the basis of uniting the ummah under divine guidance, uniting for good and righteousness, not supporting falsehood and sin," he said.
For the record, Umno and PAS had previously formed a cooperation under Muafakat Nasional (MN) after the 13th General Election in 2018, but the relationship dissolved around 2022.
Pas' decision to accept Bersatu as a political partner under the name of uniting the ummah, however, was not well-received by Umno, which saw the move as weakening the position of the Malay party.
Currently, Umno and BN form the unity government bloc with PH and parties from Sabah and Sarawak, while Pas is in the opposition bloc.
Pas now has 43 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat, making them the largest Malay party bloc to date, while UMNO has 26 MPs.