Umno keen to understand PAS
> Political cooperation between both parties should be secondary agenda, says Zahid
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno is giving more priority to mutual understanding rather than cooperation with PAS.
Its vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the “tahaluf siyasi” (political cooperation) with the Islamist party should be a secondary agenda and more attention should be given to “ta’awun (understanding) and “tabayyun” (clarity).
“Ta’awun means understanding and giving attention to issues which have gone haywire all this while due to (a lack of) priorities. Tabayyun means clarity,” Ahmad Zahid said during a joint press conference with fellow vicepresident Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein after Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak delivered his policy speech at the Umno annual general assembly yesterday.
On Nov 24, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang read his motion for the amended version of his Private Member’s Bill to amend Act 355 in a bid to expand the powers of syariah courts, but he deferred debate to the next time Parliament convenes next year.
Before Hadi’s reading of his Bill, Ahmad Zahid was the minister who announced that the Bill would be tweaked following discussions with Abdul Hadi.
Ahmad Zahid had also called for a briefing with Muslim MPs over the Bill.
The assistance Umno extended to Abdul Hadi over the Bill had raised speculation that PAS and Umno were establishing political ties.