No political ties between Barisan and PAS

PETALING JAYA: The only form of “interaction” between Barisan Nasional and PAS is based on the principles of “political understanding” on certain issues, says a senior Barisan official.

Barisan executive secretary Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Muhammad said there was no political collaboration between the former ruling coalition and the Islamist party.

He explained that the political interaction that Barisan chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi often referred to was political understanding and not collaboration.

Dr Ahmad Masrizal said Dr Ahmad Zahid had informed MCA the type of relationship with PAS is only based on political understanding.

He also clarified that discussions were held between Dr Ahmad Zahid and MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, and not his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

He said the discussion was not on the political collaboration between Barisan and PAS but more on Barisan’s need to work with PAS on the principle of political understanding on certain issues in the opposition bloc.

“The Chinese community should not confuse or blame any MCA leader, including Dr Wee or anyone in this matter.

“The community needs to understand clearly the concept of political friendship explored by Barisan,” he said in a statement yesterday.

In a Facebook posting yesterday, Dr Wee insisted that he had never been involved in talks on cooperation between Umno and PAS.

The Ayer Hitam MP said he had not taken part in any discussion between Dr Ahmad Zahid and Liow to review or rationalise the notion of PAS cooperating with Umno or any other Barisan component party.

Dr Wee had previously said a tie-up between Umno and PAS would not help Barisan, adding that Barisan would lose support in constituencies with a large concentration of non-Malay voters.

“On Umno’s cooperation with PAS, I had also made my comments on this issue in the past which was reported in the media,” Dr Wee said, adding that he had contacted Dr Ahmad Zahid’s office to clarify the matter immediately.

Dr Wee said this in reference to Dr Ahmad Zahid’s interview with The Star published on Thursday in which the latter said that Umno was working with PAS based on the spirit of being in the opposition.

Meanwhile, Dr Ahmad Masrizal said that in the two previous by-elections, the “togetherness” of Barisan and PAS was evident as the common intention was to defeat Pakatan Harapan.

“It is on this principle that Barisan will not help PAS in the Port Dickson by-election because we (Barisan) have decided to boycott it.

“As such, it is very clear that there is no political cooperation between Barisan and PAS at this point in time,” he said.