KLANG: All eyes are on the close relationship between Umno and PAS, under the Muafakat Nasional banner, in Selangor after the apparent fallout between both parties during the Melaka election on Saturday (Nov 20).

       Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi refuted talk of strained ties between the two parties in Selangor, saying that he met his Umno counterpart Tan Sri Noh Omar regularly to discuss and identify ways to further strengthen ties within Muafakat Nasional in Selangor.

       “Our relationship is very strong here,’’ he said when contacted.

       He added that the instruction from the Islamist party’s central leadership was for PAS to strengthen ties with both Umno and Perikatan Nasional.

       “The focus is 'Penyatuan Ummah' (unification of the masses) and it is a bigger and more important agenda than anything else.

       “Selangor PAS will work towards this and, at the same time, continue to strengthen our ties with Umno in Selangor," he added.

       Selangor Umno secretary Datuk Kamaruzzaman Johari said ties between PAS and Umno in the state were different from other states in the nation.

       “Umno and PAS are closely knit under the Muafakat Nasional banner only in Selangor and Pahang.

       “It is not the same in the other states,” said Kamaruzzaman.

       He said Umno cannot afford to have strained ties with PAS in Selangor.

       “In Selangor, we cannot be separated from the other Malay-based parties.

       “So we will work hard on maintaining ties and close cooperation,” he added.

       Kamaruzzaman said even though both parties were in different camps in Melaka, they will work together in Selangor.

       Meanwhile, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air Malaysia’s Jeram assemblyman Mohd Shaid Rosli said from his observations, PAS was allowing itself to be used indiscriminately.

       “It is clear that PAS does not know which party or coalition it should align itself to," he said.

       He added that in the current scenario, PAS was allegedly being used for its Malay voter base.

       However, added Mohd Shaid, it was also becoming clear that PAS’ voter base was insufficient for the party to win on its own merit as the Malay votes were now divided into several pockets.