Umno says PAS better off in BN than Pakatan

Umno continued its courtship of PAS today, saying the Islamist party would have a better future with Barisan Nasional (BN) rather than remaining within the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance with DAP and PKR.

Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan claimed that PAS would have a better chance in its political survival by supporting the ruling federal coalition, instead of “dreaming” of taking over Putrajaya and telling Umno to “withdraw gracefully” in the event of an electoral loss.

“PKR and DAP are just a burden to PAS. PAS will do better under Umno-BN, not with PKR and DAP who do not get along with PAS,” Ahmad Maslan told The Malaysian Insider.

Ahmad Maslan was responding to a statement made by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yesterday. Abdul Hadi said that Umno should ensure it withdraws gracefully from the government if it loses in the next general elections.

The PAS president said Umno should learn to accept losses in an open-minded manner, and not resort to underhanded tactics to win, like what happened in Perak last year.

In response, Ahmad Maslan reminded PAS to first “study” their positions within PR and Parliament before even thinking about replacing Umno.

“Umno has not lost yet, we do not even know when the general elections are going to be held. Umno and BN are in power now, the elections are not going to happen so soon, probably 2013.

“But if you look at the current situation [I’d say] the people are with Umno-BN,” said the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s department.

He pointed out that PAS had to contest in more Parliamentary seats before even considering itself as a threat to Umno.

“PAS-PR have 60 seats. Parliament has 222, unless PAS contests more seats I don’t see how they can lead PR. For me I think that PAS needs to reconsider its position in Pakatan, whether they want to stand alone or join BN,” said Ahamd Maslan.

PR won five states in the 2008 general elections, but BN wrested Perak from after several PR assemblymen left the party to become BN-friendly independents.

Umno has proposed the idea of PAS-Umno unity talks since 2008, saying that the Islamist party would be better off with Umno as both parties shared similar ideals.

The PAS leadership have for now rejected the idea of joining Umno or BN, driving the point home several times during its recent PAS general assembly a few months back.

However, Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak vowed that Umno will maintain its dominance and rule over Putrajaya “no matter what the cost.”

In his stirring yet controversial policy speech at the recent Umno general assembly, Najib called on Umno delegates to defend Umno and BN’s control over federal power, claiming that they were ever-ready to take on a weakened Pakatan Rakyat.

Najib’s policy speech, which drew heavily on Umno’s past successes as a blueprint for future triumph, appears to have stirred the country’s oldest Malay party, as BN recently scored two big victories in winning the Galas seat as well as the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat.



comments

What real joke and thinks PAS would fall into their desperation for survival. LOL

I think UMNO should join PAS. At least those same people do have some government posts to rule...under PAS after GE13.

Better not join. Some PAS members might even abandon Islamic teachings when they see they could get a share of $$$ from the UMNO bunch of cronies. More money corruptions this way!

Ahmad Maslan is talking with hot potatoes stuck in his throat. While UMNO is satanic, PAS is angelic. How could the two marry and become one. The result will be arsenic. If at all this happens (a bridge to far), Tok Guru will have to detox several times in a day to purge out the filth and bile brought about by the merger.