Muhyiddin puts brakes on Umno-PAS talks

By Shannon Teoh

SRI KEMBANGAN, June 9 – In a sign that the main protagonists in the unity government proposal are backing down, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today said that there did not seem to be a consensus and indicated that Umno could proceed only if “the party that initiated the idea comes up with firm plans.”

In the face of friendly fire from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners and other PAS leaders in what DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang called a “crisis of confidence” for the fledgling coalition, those aligned to the pro-unity faction in PAS have backtracked, stating that forming a unity government was “never part of the plan”.

It now appears that Umno is also seeking to avoid the same repercussions from its Barisan Nasional (BN) colleagues who may be displeased at a consolidation of Malay-Muslim political power.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had been pursuing the proposal fervently to the point of making an open invitiation on satellite television channel Astro last night to PAS, which was gently turned down by PAS central committee member Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

But while echoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s statement that Umno was always open to dialogue, Muhyiddin today noted that there was differing views within PR, citing DAP’s insistence that they were never consulted on the matter.

The deputy prime minister said that he was in the dark about what PAS had in mind and the extent to which cooperation was being proposed.

“Up to now, I only know what I read in the news,” Muhyiddin, also Umno’s deputy chief, said.

“I need to see what it is all about. Is it just PAS or is it Pakatan? And what level of cooperation? It does not seem to be unanimous,” he added.

Najib had said on Sunday that, pending more information, he would maintain an open attitude concerning unity talks as suggested by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.


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