Now PAS number 2 shows support for Umno collaboration

Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's willingness to share the same stage with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at a recent event was an indication that the Islamist opposition and ruling Umno could work together as one, PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said today. In a statement that marks a departure from previous ones where he said PAS would never join Umno, Tuan Ibrahim today said the opposition party always adopted an open stance in discussing important matters and could go beyond partisan politics. "Party members should be proud of the PAS president's willingness and his big heart to share the stage and meet with the government's leader. "This will surely hurt those who think that this sharing of the stage will mean the joining of two parties becoming one. "We do not need to waste time entertaining people with such views because the basis of PAS's struggle has nothing to do with them," Tuan Ibrahim said today. PAS has always been consistent in discussing issues that concerned the country, and this included sitting down with anyone across political boundaries, he added. Hadi and Najib, who is also Umno president, both attended a recent gathering of Al-Azhar University alumni, Majlis Multaqa Serantau Alumni Al-Azhar Malaysia, two days ago, where they sat next to each other and spoke from the stage. Najib, at the event, reiterated his invitation to PAS to work together with Umno, which he had made earlier at the Umno general assembly the week before. Although the leadership of the two rival parties have long made overtures to each other, recent invitations come in the light of PAS now being alone on the opposition bench after refusing to join new pact Pakatan Harapan. Tuan Ibrahim, who only earlier this month said PAS would not work with Umno to "save" it, today said that the two rival leaders sharing the same stage was not a big deal as previous leaders had done it before. He said the late Datuk Fadzil Noor, as well as the late PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, had both stood together with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the issue of Palestine. Nik Aziz had also shared a stage with another former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in launching the Eastern Corridor Economic Region. "Now, our president is on the same stage as Najib on matters of Muslim unity," Tuan Ibrahim said. – December 19, 2015.]]>