There is a saying that nothing is more intoxicating than victory; in fact, it looks like the recent resounding victory for PAS in the Kemaman by-election must have left many in the Islamist party’s camp dreaming of a quick return to Putrajaya!
In fact, according to PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man the Islamist party is now open to working with Umno again despite the “bitter” history between them; however, he qualified it by saying that any collaboration with Umno must be through the Perikatan Nasional (PN) platform, which of course includes Bersatu.
He added that his party has never sidelined the agenda of fostering unity through the ummah and that collaboration with any party is feasible through PN because, as the main party, all political cooperation must be approved by the syura council.
Meanwhile, a day earlier, Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil had also spoken of the need for the “unification of Malay parties” to jointly govern the nation again; he added that the recently elected Kemaman MP, Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, could become the prime minister if PN forged a consensus with Umno before the 16th general election.
Furthermore, Umno and PAS had previously joined forces after the 14th general election, forming the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact during their time in the opposition.
However, tension escalated after PAS joined the Bersatu-led PN, leading to Umno’s exit from MN; and thereafter in the 15th general election, Umno contested independently under Barisan Nasional, winning just 30 seats while PN secured 74!
Meanwhile, Awang Hashim, a member of PAS central committee, also said that the door remained open to Umno, in the spirit of unity among the ummah; the Pendang MP further cited PAS’s past “marriages” with other parties, including with DAP, while stressing that Muafakat Nasional is one of the avenues that can be utilised to unite the ummah.
Nevertheless, Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi seems to have rebuffed the offer from PAS by saying that it's pointless to entertain any thoughts of collaborating with the Islamist party; he said that this is because it may not bring about any benefits and also that it may not last long.
Puad, who is also the Johor state assembly Speaker, added that instead of committing to a “marriage of convenience” it's better that Umno works with PM Anwar’s unity government to help revive the country’s economy for the sake of the rakyat.
In fact, there appears to be some disconnect between what the PAS deputy president has proposed and what its secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan appears to have been alluding to lately especially in the aftermath of the Kemaman by-election; whereby, the latter had even called for a change in the Umno leadership including replacing its current president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Whatever it is, it’s hard to see Umno leaving the comfort of being a privileged co-occupant of Putrajaya and reigniting its “romance” with PAS just like in the heady days post-Sheraton - all purportedly for the sake of “reuniting the ummah.”
While the PAS deputy president may be longing for the return of the “glory days” of Perikatan Nasional’s Malay-Muslim-centric rule under Muhyiddin Yassin, did it really “unify the ummah” and bring stability and meaningful progress to the country?
Perhaps, Umno’s shrewd veteran Puad Zarkashi, who has seen it all, is spot on after all - even if Umno-BN were to ditch Pakatan Harapan and collaborate with PAS again, it may not last (especially with Bersatu in the mix). So why bother?
Primary Source: FMT
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