MARANG: PAS said it was firm in pursuing the unity agenda as the backbone of the Muafakat Nasional Charter (MN).
This was despite Umno leaders describing the political cooperation between the two parties as being barely alive (nyawa-nyawa ikan).
Without mentioning names, PAS vice-president Senator Datuk Idris Ahmad said the split emanating from the egoistic position and arrogant stand of party leaders would only cause losses to Malay and Islamic based parties.
Such an attitude taken would also see a repeat of the 14th General Election (GE) defeat and therefore, Pas he said has refused to budge from its position of fighting for the unity of the ummah.
“Whatever the decision (will be), we (PAS) remain with unity (as our stand). Study conducted by political researchers since the 1969 General Election showed that any political party in Malaysia taking part in elections cannot do so in a solo manner.
“There must at least be collaboration (and) the experience gained in that when there is a split among us … we see a party whose (membership) is 65 per cent Muslims (being) defeated, dominated by a party that is 35 per cent (Muslim membership).
“So PAS (will) continue to move forward with our agenda. It is the people who will judge us later, not the party leaders,” he said.
He said this after opening the Rehlah Till Jannah Program Series 1/2022 at Perkampungan Darul Barakah here today.
Idris, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), said that PAS’ politics is not conducted for personal gain but for the future of Islam and Muslims.
“I am already 59 years old. I am not politicking for myself. We are politicking for the future of our religion and our grandchildren, not for us.
“Do we really want to play politics until we are willing to sacrifice … it’s not about us but about the future, we are already advanced in our age.
“The elderly among the leaders need not be egoistic. We don’t need to be arrogant with each other, sitting in this union that we are fighting for,” he said.
Umno had described cooperation with Pas through MN as being barely alive.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the future of MN should be discussed at the committee level of both parties.
The MN charter involving Umno and PAS was signed on Sept 14, 2019.
The charter, among others, agreed on forging cooperation by developing the Islamic and Malay narratives, without denying religious, racial and cultural diversity as an axis to political stability, racial harmony and national prosperity.
