PAS should be grateful to Umno for helping it get into Perikatan, says Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS should be the one grateful to Umno for having brought it into the then Perikatan Nasional government in 2020, not the other way around, says Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that this was because, in 2020, Umno had led Barisan Nasional with 68 parliamentary seats to form the then Perikatan government under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, when PAS had only 18 MPs.

He was commenting on a statement by PAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad on Dec 8 that Umno should be thankful to its Perikatan counterpart, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, for having helped Umno to become a part of the government again in 2020 after having been in the opposition for two years following a humiliating defeat in the 14th general election.

Ahmad Zahid said this to the media after officiating the Zetrix and Beitou launch of digital ID and driver’s licence services on blockchain, a commercial collaboration between Malaysia’s MY EG Services Berhad and China’s state-owned Guangxi Beitou Innovation Technology Investment Group Co Ltd here today (Dec 9).

“Idris does not seem to know what Umno has done for PAS.

“PAS should be the one to be grateful to Umno as, at that time, PAS was also part of the opposition. The formation of the then Perikatan Nasional (back in 2020) came about because of the big contribution of Umno and Barisan MPs.

“At that time, PAS only had 18 members of parliament, whereas Umno and other Barisan Nasional parties had 68 parliamentary seats altogether.

“Thus, PAS is the one which should be grateful to Umno, not Umno having to be grateful to Bersatu or PAS,” said Ahmad Zahid.

In recent days, Umno and PAS leaders have accused each other of not keeping to their promises, leading to the fallout of both parties in the loose cooperation of Muafakat Nasional.

In February 2020, a political development dubbed the Sheraton Move saw the fall of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition government and the resignation of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad after 22 months in power, after a group of PKR MPs and Bersatu joined forces with Barisan Nasional MPs to form a new government.