KUALA LUMPUR – PAS has never closed the door on cooperating with Umno for the sake of Muslim unity, said the party’s spiritual leader, Datuk Hashim Jasin.
However, according to him, although PAS and Umno had previously attempted to collaborate through Muafakat Nasional (MN), certain issues had hindered the effort.
“We have already planned and established Muslim unity with Umno, including having a charter, but perhaps there were some issues. However, we have never closed our doors.
“We also know who rejected the alliance before. Perhaps, with a leadership change in Umno, who knows, the door may open wide again, InsyaAllah.
“Whatever it is, we shall see after the 16th general election (GE16),” he told Scoop.
Previously, former PAS Ulama Council information chief Mohd Asri Mat Daud expressed confidence that an understanding between PAS and Umno to revive MN could materialise ahead of GE16.
“Even though some leaders on the other side claim that MN is ‘dead’, it can be revived…we do not see MN as having been buried.
“Umno and PAS grassroots prefer to come together. Generally, if you go to the grassroots level, I believe even the top leadership knows that they are calling for MN to be revived,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked whether the cooperation would be opposed by Bersatu – which is currently allied with PAS under Perikatan Nasional (PN) – Hashim said that the matter could be resolved between the involved parties.
“That is up to them (Umno and Bersatu) – but as for PAS, we remain open to unity and we always pray for it.
“With the current developments both locally and internationally, perhaps the leadership will be prompted to consider what should be prioritised for the sake of Muslim and Islamic unity,” he said.
However, Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has previously dismissed the proposal to revive MN, instead choosing to focus on forming alliances with parties in the unity government.
He said that the people could evaluate the current political landscape for themselves and that politics should be based on democracy while prioritising Islamic values.
MN was a political alliance established between Umno and PAS, formed on September 14, 2019, following the Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah. – February 3, 2025