PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang says the party was compelled to end its political relationship with Bersatu, claiming the party had become more focused on securing seats and power than advancing the unity of the ummah.
Writing in his ‘Minda Presiden PAS’ column, Hadi alleged that Bersatu sought political power among Muslims while sharing that power with non-Muslim parties without considering the position of Islam or the Malays.
He said the conduct of Bersatu’s leaders had undermined the original objective of uniting the ummah, making it necessary for PAS to take firm action in line with its principles.
Hadi criticises Bersatu’s political approach
Hadi also accused Bersatu of minimising PAS’s role in driving political change and of treating the party unfairly by opposing the admission of new Malay-Muslim parties into Perikatan Nasional (PN).
He further claimed that Bersatu sought a larger share of seats during the 15th General Election without taking into account candidates’ qualifications, the strength of election machinery or membership numbers in the constituencies involved.
According to Hadi, PAS members were left to shoulder much of the campaign work while supporting candidates whom he described as lacking the necessary qualifications and organisational support.
Leadership changes raised concerns
Hadi also criticised Bersatu over what he described as the ‘immoral’ dismissal of several leaders, including former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
He said the loss of those leaders had weakened PN and harmed the coalition’s standing.
These remarks mark Hadi’s first official comments since announcing on Monday that PAS had decided to sever ties with the party led by Muhyiddin Yassin.
PAS to explore new political cooperation
Hadi said PAS would now look into forming a new political partnership ahead of the upcoming state elections and the 16th General Election, with the aim of promoting what he described as the unity of the ummah.
Before making the announcement, he had identified several issues that had strained relations between PAS and Bersatu, including efforts to remove the Perlis Menteri Besar, alleged interference in appointments in Kedah and Kelantan, and Bersatu’s opposition to admitting new Malay-Muslim parties into PN.
