‘Avoid PAS-Umno friction’

BERA: There should not be friction between Umno and PAS as their ties may still continue in the future, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He added that both parties should avoid insulting or hurling attacks against one another as such acts were not only prohibited by Islam, but also because the two parties used to work together under Muafakat Nasional, which had now become strained.

“We shouldn’t be making attacks on each other because the ties may be rekindled again in the future. In politics, we are not forever enemies, and it is not forever that we are friends, and as such, we should avoid hurting other people’s feelings.

“Who knows, one day we will sit together again for the sake of the Muslim ummah and the Malays in the country.

“If we make baseless allegations, it will only create animosity between us,” he said to reporters after launching the Bera Barisan Nasional parliamentary machinery here yesterday.

Ismail Sabri, who is also an Umno vice-president, earlier officiated the Bera Umno divisional meeting here, reported Bernama.

The Prime Minister said this in response to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement on Friday that PAS had suspended its cooperation with Barisan.

Abdul Hadi made the statement a day after Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that Umno and Barisan had decided to go solo in the 15th General Election.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Ismail Sabri, who is also Bera Umno division leader, hinted that he would defend the parliamentary seat, which he had won since 2004, should this be agreed upon by the party leadership.

He reminded the party machinery to unite and work together to ensure victory for all Barisan candidates, regardless of whether they are from Umno, MCA or MIC, in the constituency.