KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said PAS leaders told him they will not support Umno at the Semenyih state by-election, because Pakatan Harapan (PH) did not field a DAP candidate.
He said at (a meeting at the Al-Bukhary Foundation on Friday) with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and two other leaders, namely, secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and Terengganu Mentri Besar Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, it was not mentioned if PAS would back Bersatu or PH at the by-election on March 2.
”I am only forced to say that they (Abdul Hadi, Takiyuddin and Ahmad Samsuri) admitted that they will not support Umno this time because the opponent this time is not DAP. They stated that they will not support Umno but they will not declare it.
“(But) when I hear a denial, I am forced to mention what had transpired ... their admission, this time they will not support Umno but they did not say whether they will support Bersatu or PH and they (PAS) will not be present (during the nomination) but we see they still turned up,’’ he told a media conference after launching the National Community Policy (NCP), here today.
Also present were the prime minister’s wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, several Cabinet ministers and Selangor Mentri Besar Amiruddin Shaari.
He said the PAS leaders had handed over a letter which was signed by Takiyuddin, that contained the admission.
Dr Mahathir said during the meeting too the PAS leaders stated their support for his leadership as prime minister.
‘’But as we know, they don’t often support me,’’ he added.
He said the meeting was more focused towards the co-ordination of work between the federal government and the state government.
‘’They sought to have a representative from the party in certain government agencies and we also requested that a PH leader be given a place in the state government where we don’t have a representative,’’ he said. — Bernama
