KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki responded to PAS’ apparent overtures to renew cooperation by likening it to a marriage proposal with a potentially deal-breaking condition.

Yesterday, during a press conference at the PAS 70th Muktamar in Temerloh, Pahang, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang stated that his party remains open to collaborating with Umno.

He also confirmed ongoing efforts to revive Muafakat Nasional (MN), the alliance between PAS and Umno, without involving Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

According to Berita Harian, Asyraf Wajdi used the following analogy in response: "How could one consider marriage if there’s a condition of not accepting the partner’s father?”

Asyraf Wajdi further stated that Umno has never closed its doors to anyone and that, following the 15th general election (GE15), the party was open to negotiations with all.

"Any cooperation should be based on honesty and sincerity; it’s akin to a marriage,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay daily.

He highlighted that when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong urged all parties to unite and form a unity government after GE15, only PAS and Bersatu rejected this royal decree.

"Why did only PAS and Bersatu reject it, while 19 other parties agreed? That’s why the foundation must be honesty and sincerity,” he said.

Berita Harian reported Asyraf Wajdi as saying that when Umno and PAS united under MN, Zahid had never betrayed the alliance.

"During two meetings of the MN Steering Committee, Umno inquired whether PAS had secretly established a sponsor to register Perikatan Nasional (PN) with Bersatu. PAS openly denied this.

"This was documented in the minutes of the meetings, and Tuan Ibrahim also denied it in the media. Yet, PAS was secretly playing a double game.

"They set up a sponsorship committee and eventually registered PN as a party,” he said, referring to PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

MN was established following a charter signed by Umno and PAS at the Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah on September 14, 2019, after the political upheaval in 2020 caused by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s resignation as Malaysia’s seventh Prime Minister.

The alliance expanded when Bersatu left Pakatan Harapan and joined MN before the new political coalition, PN, was officially registered.

Umno later withdrew its support for Bersatu as an MN partner, prompting PAS to follow suit. On October 13, 2022, PAS declared its intention to stay with PN for GE15.

Zahid subsequently issued an ultimatum to PAS: sever ties with Bersatu and PN if the party wanted to cooperate with Umno in GE15.