Hadi shuts door on unity talks

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DATUK Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has shot down the notion of a unity government with Umno, saying PAS will not shift its allegiance.

The PAS president, asked on the possibility of a unity government with Barisan Nasional, said: “That is a closed chapter. There is no such thing as a unity government.”

He said this was a concept mooted by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and was no longer pertinent.

“The previous prime minister has left (office) and there is a new person at the helm. The situation has changed,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

Asked if there was any offer by Umno over the matter, he said: “Barisan is currently trying to manage its household matters. How do we move house if the house is kelam-kabut (in disarray)?”

Abdul Hadi also hinted that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should back off on his suggestion for PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to step down.

“There is no need for him to resign. We follow the spiritual leader and what is in accordance to the Majlis Syura.

“We practice collective leadership. He is still the head of Syura and he can carry out his duties well. We have democracy in our party. Everyone can express their views. There have been differences of opinion before but we have managed to solve the problem well,” he said.

Former Umno Youth executive council member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said PAS should be unified before any kind of unity talk could restart.

He said the unity talks were important to Umno but it wished to talk to a person who truly represented the voice of the majority in PAS.

Earlier, debating the Budget, Abdul Hadi said opposition parties should be considered as partners to help the ruling government to ensure it did not make hasty and improper policy decisions.

He said governments which practised true democracy would not make the Opposition enemies as they were also part of the people.

Abdul Hadi said the revelation of the wastage of public funds in the Auditor General’s Report showed that the Government had not adhered to true Islamic principles.