KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has dismissed the need to bring PAS into a cohesive Opposition pact, claiming his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia could even defeat the Islamist party in multi-cornered fights.
In remarks that are set to undermine PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s continued efforts to woo the Islamist party, the former prime minister also rejected the likelihood of an electoral pact that would include Pakatan Harapan parties and PAS.
Dr Mahathir then expressed confidence that the electoral pact encompassing Pakatan Harapan and his PPBM was sufficient to take on the ruling Barisan Nasional
“We are prepared for a three-cornered fight. We have to take on PAS. We think that in most instances we can actually beat PAS and the BN as well,” Dr Mahathir was quoted as saying in an interview with Singaporean newspaper The Sunday Times.
The PPBM chairman acknowledged, however, that PAS was influential enough to split the Opposition vote to BN’s advantage.
Despite his dismissal of the Islamist party, Dr Mahathir appeared to still call for PAS to side with the other federal Opposition parties, saying that refusing to support the pact was akin to helping BN win the general election.
He then told feuding Opposition parties to set aside their differences in order to pool their resources to take on the ruling coalition.
“In order to do that, you must forget some of your pet projects and pet struggles,” he said.
A recent PKR survey showed that one possible outcome of keeping PAS outside the Pakatan Harapan cooperation was a split Opposition vote that may give BN a supermajority in Parliament after the next general election.
Muhyiddin had, during the launch of PPBM last week, mooted a larger Opposition pact called Barisan Rakyat that would include Pakatan Harapan parties, PPBM and PAS.
The proposal is stymied by the unresolved disputes between DAP and PAS that led to the breakup of the previous Pakatan Rakyat pact as well as animosity between the Islamist party and Amanah that was formed by former PAS leaders and members.
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