Umno veteran claims PAS plotting to bring down government

PETALING JAYA: Umno veteran Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad (pic) claimed that PAS and its president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang are attempting to topple the unity government for their advantage.

The former Johor Baru MP urged government leaders to be wary of Abdul Hadi’s latest warning that the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would fall.

Shahrir alleged that this was because PAS was instrumental in the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan government led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad back in 2020.

"Once again PAS is taking steps to topple the unity government and reinstate a PAS-sponsored government.

"It worked once before. So, (they will) try again for a second time. Hadi had already warned people earlier in March. We'll wait and see,” said Shahrir on Facebook.

He was commenting on a news report on March 1 where Abdul Hadi said he expected the current government led by Anwar to fall in the near future.

However, the Marang MP did not offer details on how the fall of the unity government would happen.

Shahrir also recalled the PAS leader’s meeting with Dr Mahathir on several occasions, prior to the fall of the Pakatan government.

He said the second meeting was during the Semenyih state by-election in February 2019, where Abdul Hadi had met Mahathir.

"After two meetings with Dr Mahathir, Abdul Hadi issued a statement supporting the former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairman as prime minister until the end of the 14th parliamentary term," he said.

Shortly after that, Shahrir added that six Barisan Nasional MPs, without Umno’s knowledge, had declared their same support for Dr Mahathir.

"Their statements were made before the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election.

"These two declarations of support were the early stages of the 'Sheraton Move' where PAS and a group of Umno-Barisan MPs supported Dr Mahathir as prime minister," he said.

The "Sheraton Move" was a clandestine plan, called due to the gathering of lawmakers at the Sheraton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, just before the Pakatan administration collapsed in February 2020.

At that time, several prominent factions within PH had a clandestine meeting with leaders of the then Opposition Barisan that subsequently led to the formation of a new government under Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in March.