PETALING JAYA: Bersatu is the moderate brand of the Perikatan Nasional coalition that has also boosted support for PAS, Bersatu tells off the Islamist party.
In a lengthy three-page statement by Bersatu’s political bureau on Sunday (May 24), the party said that PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s allegations were uncalled for as Bersatu has proven its strength and capability during elections and as the government.
The Bersatu political bureau held its meeting on Saturday (May 23) after Abdul Hadi announced that PAS was reviewing the cooperation with it over allegations of betrayal and non-camaraderie last Friday.
The statement from Bersatu is the first from the party leadership that addressed Abdul Hadi’s allegations, which came at the tail of a strained relationship between Bersatu and PAS over the last few months.
“Regarding claims that Bersatu only increases the number of candidates but lacks machinery, Bersatu is continuously striving to strengthen its grassroots support.
“In recent months, the Bersatu headquarters has received hundreds of new membership applications daily, proving that Bersatu is growing with new energy, especially among the youth.
“Apart from party machinery and members, Bersatu’s strength in all elections lies in the Bersatu brand itself, which attracts Malaysians, as well as the experience and track records of Bersatu leaders who have been tested and proven capable in governing and administering the country effectively.
“Its moderate, inclusive, progressive image, people-centric policies, and credible experience have boosted voter support for Bersatu candidates and other parties within Perikatan Nasional,” stated the bureau.
On Friday, Abdul Hadi said that PAS will review its cooperation with Bersatu in Perikatan as the latter had allegedly not kept its promises and had allegedly stopped other political parties from joining Perikatan, affecting the coalition’s expansion.
He further alleged that Bersatu had also not fielded enough campaign workers during elections for their own candidates, although the party had claimed that it had thousands of members.
“Those who work during elections on the ground were so small in numbers. They told us they had thousands of members but when it comes to going down on the ground during elections, there were very few from Bersatu,” said Abdul Hadi then.
Meanwhile, PAS has yet to make a final decision not to work with Bersatu although the central committee held an emergency meeting earlier on Sunday.
