Hadi says no muzakarah with Umno

There will no muzakarah (dialogue) with Umno as the issue does not arise at all, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang stressed today.

He said the issue re-surfaced when a journalist asked on May 13 why PAS was holding muzakarah with a non-governmental organisations and not with Umno.

Hadi (left) said the party was prepared for discussions with NGOs that claimed PAS had deviated from its Islamic policy.

"Hence the issue of muzakarah with Umno does not arise. It is an old issue... and Umno is using it for political gain in view of the coming general election.

"This is Umno's agenda.

"There is no muzakarah with Umno. And we will contest against it... Umno was not sincere in the discussions (before)," Hadi told a press conference at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

'PAS does not want to repeat the same episode'

The PAS president also said the issue involving the party and Umno “is an old story” and that PAS did not want to repeat the same episode.

Hadi also emphasised that there had been efforts in the past for talks between PAS and Umno, including one mooted by the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) in 1982, but this was rejected by Umno then.

Meanwhile PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali said the party would hold a seminar to explain Islam and its role in the country's politics.

Mustafa said the seminar would be open to non-Muslims as well so that they could further understand the issue.

"The date of the seminar is yet to be decided," he said.

Also present at the press conference were PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and vice-president Mahfuz Omar.