HADI: NO ALLIANCE WITH PPBM AS IT ‘LACKS DIRECTION’

ALOR STAR: Pas has decided not to form a political alliance with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) as the new political party “lacks direction”, said party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Hadi made it clear that Pas would halt any talks with PPBM on a possible political cooperation for the upcoming 14th General Election (GE14).

“(We) don’t even know who the leader is. Who is the imam (leader) and who are the makmum (followers)? This is why we have decided not to have any relations with them (PPBM),” he said yesterday.

Political analyst Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the decision showed Pas valued its ties with PKR more than PPBM.

“Pas decided to stop negotiating with PPBM because the party decided to join Pakatan Harapan. With PKR, they didn’t do that even though PKR is an active member of Pakatan. It shows their relationship with PKR is more important.

“The Syura Council may buy time so that the party can continue working with PKR, especially in Selangor,” he said yesterday.

This came after Hadi made it clear that the Pas leadership was in no hurry to make up its mind over its tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) with PKR, despite all three party wings approving a motion to sever ties with PKR.

Hadi said the wings were entitled to pass a motion on issues that were raised during their respective delegates’ conference.

Hadi, however, said all motions would be studied and deliberated before being presented to the Syura Council, Pas’ highest decision-making body.

“We will study the matter. There are terms for tahaluf (cooperation). If there is any element that is inconsistent with the terms of cooperation, Pas will take action,” he said after opening Pas’ 63rd Muktamar here yesterday.

PKR vice-president Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin, the sole PKR representative at Pas’ general assembly yesterday, urged the party not to end its tahaluf siyasi with PKR.

“When PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution asked Pas executive councilors in Selangor to resign, that was his personal view. It doesn’t represent PKR’s stand. We in the (PKR) political bureau never made such a decision,” Shaharuddin said.

He was commenting on Saifuddin’s statement, in which he called on all three Selangor state executive councillors from Pas to resign from their posts if the party ended its ties with PKR.

Sivamurugan, meanwhile, said Pas and PKR could risk losing seats in GE14 if both parties stopped cooperating.

Meanwhile, former menteri besar and PKR leader Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yesterday advised Pas and PKR to put the people’s interests above politics.

He said matters concerning the state administration must be separated from political disagreements, as both parties had benefited from each other during the last general election.