Malaysian Islamist leader says winning next general elections, rejects coup against Pakatan

PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang says he rejects a move to create what he calls a ‘backdoor’ government stating he is confident his party and the Umno will win the next general elections.

Amid rumours of the formation of a new government in a ‘coup’ to kick Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR and the DAP out of the current government, the PAS says it is rejecting such a move.

He did not say who approached him to join the formation of a new regime in Malaysia, one that will see some PKR members under Azmin Ali, the Bersatu of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Umno (or at least some MPs from the Umno) forming a new government.

Hadi says the pact made by the Islamists with the Umno headed by Zahid Hamidi is a good political development.

“There has been a good response (to the cooperation) and this is a good political development.

“We will enter through the front even though the backdoor is open,” he said during a speech at the Muafakat Nasional Selangor rally last night, as reported by Malaysian Insight.

Hadi also says rumours of the formation of an alternative government with MPs from the opposition join a group of MPs from the Pakatan scared the ruling coalition.

“They are scared, and so there’s now confusion in Harapan,” he said.

But he says the PAS wants to save the country, not cause chaos.

The PAS and Hadi have backed moves to keep Dr Mahathir as the PM of the country until 2023 when the next Malaysian General Election is expected.

In the past few weeks, several discussions went on among various MPs of both political divides. The event that got the most media attention was the ‘secret’ meeting at Minister of Economic Affairs Azmin Ali’s house involving scores of Umno MPs and 5 PKR MPs.

Dr Mahathir had claimed the UMNO members were lost and did not have a party hence they met Azmin to discuss joining another party. He did not say which party they wanted to join.