PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang has urged Umno to reflect on its current trajectory and return to the right path after allegedly aligning with the wrong political partners.
Umno is currently a key component of the unity government led by Pakatan Harapan, which includes PKR and DAP.
Writing in his Minda Presiden column, Abdul Hadi claimed that Umno’s decision to cooperate with these parties has significantly weakened its commitment to Islamic and Malay policies.
The Marang Member of Parliament asserted that this partnership has caused Umno to become diseased and increasingly fragile.
He further suggested that many individuals within Umno have remained silent regarding negative practices and wrongdoings simply to safeguard their positions within the government administration.
Shift from fundamental foundations
According to Abdul Hadi, Umno’s current actions indicate a willingness to abandon its Islamic and Malay foundations in pursuit of high-ranking positions.
He characterised PKR as a liberal party and DAP as an extremely secular party, arguing that such cooperation compromises Umno’s original struggle.
The PAS leader noted that it was non-Islamic parties that eventually brought Umno into the coalition government, despite Umno not being in a strong position following the 15th general election.
He maintained that while PAS and Umno share similar fundamental struggles, they differ primarily in their interpretations and strategic approaches.
He also addressed the collapse of previous cooperation, stating that Umno had rejected an offer from PAS to work together after the last general election.
He claimed this rejection was rooted in a fear that PAS would grow too strong and eventually destroy Umno, an accusation he dismissed as untrue.
The decline of Muslim political power
Abdul Hadi expressed concern that the political power of Muslims in the country has diminished.
He attributed this to Umno allowing various smaller parties into coalition governments, which he believes has diluted the influence of the majority community.
He emphasized that Muslims must unite based on religious principles rather than for the sake of power, positions, or material wealth.
This call for unity follows the complex history of the Muafakat Nasional pact, which was formed in September 2019 to consolidate the Malay-Muslim vote but effectively ended in December 2022.
The relationship between the two parties soured after PAS chose to work with Bersatu under the Perikatan Nasional banner following the change of government in 2020.
Umno viewed this move as a betrayal, leading to the eventual breakdown of their alliance and Umno’s subsequent support for the current unity government.
