All’s well in Perikatan, PAS sec-gen says after claims of ‘cold war’ between Hadi and Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — PAS secretary general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has dismissed allegations of a rift between his party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Takiyuddin said there have been two recent Perikatan Nasional (PN) meetings in which both party leaders were present, as well as the head of the third component member Gerakan, adding that such regular meetings showed that there were “no problems” within the federal Opposition coalition, Sinar Harian reported today.

“In reality, there are certain people deliberately spreading stories of unresolved issues between them despite two meetings held between the leaders of PAS and Bersatu.

“I can confirm that there are no problems between the leaders and members; they are working together to strengthen the party,” he was quoted as telling reporters in Kota Baru, Kelantan yesterday during a state level Chinese New Year celebration.

He added that leaders of PAS, Bersatu, and Gerakan often held preliminary meetings prior to the formal PN supreme council talks as there were some matters that needed to be thrashed out beforehand.

Takiyuddin insisted that there has never been any disagreement among PN leaders and that there was no suggestion to call for an election to decide who among them should be named the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate, contrary to news reports.

News portal Free Malaysia Today had reported on February 1 unnamed sources claiming a rift between Hadi and Muhyiddin who is the current PN chairman.

The relationship between the two reportedly turned cold after Muhyiddin cycled back on his decision to step down as Bersatu president, which was said to have prompted PAS to push its vice-president and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as the Opposition’s candidate for prime minister in the next general election.

According to the news portal, Muhyiddin’s about-turn at the Bersatu general meeting last November was seen as an attempt by the Pagoh MP to keep hold of the PN chairmanship and subsequently be the next prime minister candidate.

It also claimed that Muhyiddin and Hadi had not been seen together since the PAS muktamar last October and that recent meetings between the two on February 14 and 15 were merely symbolic.