Malaysian Insider
July 28, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has nixed the chance of unity talks ever taking place between his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ally PAS and the ruling coalition’s Umno, even without being stonewalled by the Islamist party’s Spiritual Adviser, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) Malay party has long viewed Nik Aziz as the main stumbling block towards achieving bi-party unity and political cooperation, an idea that has repeatedly cropped up post Election 2008.
“PAS maintains its stand it will not cooperate with Umno based on its past experiences and without being backed by principles.
“PAS leaders also reject this cooperation,” Anwar was reported saying during a visit to Kumpulan Media Karangkraf yesterday.
The PKR de facto chief added that Umno did not understand PAS; noting the grand old Malay party thought “if they can capture Nik Aziz, they would be able to control PAS.”
Anwar stressed that among the three PR parties – PAS, DAP and PKR – there could be no talks with Umno so long as conditions were imposed.
He claimed that any party looking for unity must begin on the “right premise”.
“[It] must be sincere in upholding justice and stop this oppression first. If not, any unity will be seen as Malays trying to dominate the other [racial] groups,” Anwar said, adding that no one was against Malay-Muslim unity.
“I also say it’s good,” he quipped, “but united for what [purpose]?”
“To be united is so it can uphold something better, not just because there is a threat,” he continued.
Yesterday, Umno information chief, Datuk Ahmad Maslan said his party would not stop its efforts to have unity talks with PAS despite opposition from Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Mentri Besar.
Ahmad said it was because Umno was confident there were certain groups in PAS that support its efforts.
“Nik Aziz can say anything but in PAS, there are certain groups. As everybody knows, PAS does not revolve around Nik Aziz alone,” said the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Ahmad stressed that PAS was not dependent on Nik Aziz to lead the party as there were others who could do so, such as the president, the deputy president and the party’s supreme council.
However, he agreed with Nik Aziz’s statement that there was no need for a middleman nor any conditions to be set in order for a meeting to take place.
PAS leaders have repeatedly stressed that the party had closed the chapter on talks with Umno and now was focused only on strengthening ties within PR.
#1 by sheriff singh on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 1:09 pm
Who believe Anwar these days? He doesn’t seem to be able to deliver anything. And he depends on riff-raffs and his own ‘Little Napoleons’ who just can’t get along.
Things and circumstances will change with time and personalities will leave the scene. And with BN and its tentacles controlling all organs of state, PR is at a very, very big disadvantage.
Anwar wishes the unity talks will not take place but be realistic, this view is not shared by many both in UMNO and PAS. There will be many opportunists who will take things into their own hands if they can benefit from it. And once again Anwar will be left isolated. Just like he was helpless to do anything in the Perak case but to watch things slide away from him.
#2 by monsterball on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 1:10 pm
“If they can capture Nik Aziz, they would be able to control PAS”
Note the word “CONTROL”.
And the whole world knows…if they can put Anwar out of politics…they will control Malays..out of PAS.
55 years still applying CONTROLLING and CAPTURING have only one main reason…to shut Malays mouth on CORRUPTIONS and accept the good news to CONTROL minorities.
It is UMNO B evil plans…not the original UMNO.
UMNO b members should know…such evil doers cannot be fair to all Malays.
Do the want to experience being played out by Najib or wake up to realities in life.
There is no minorities nor a majority race.
There is Malaysians only.
You want to be Malays..Chinese…Indians…to be divided…you must want Malaysia to keep on having race problems.
You want to be control by a religion…your minds will never be free nor able to think independently…being led and fed like children…after 55 years.
UMNO B members are shaming Islamic religion and his own race…to be so backwards and behave like beggars..depending on easy living and stagnant futures…with UMNO B keep using money to kill off their dignities…and principles in life.
It is a fact…..Islamic religion is F-ed up by UMNO B hypocrites.
#3 by frankyapp on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 1:19 pm
Datuk Nik Aziz is a spiritial leader,he’s also a pretty humble guy and most of all he’s a leader of the above cut type. Hence I think no amount of tricks and goodies coming from MY or NR or both will not change his stand to see the distruction of Umno. Datuk Nik Aziz knows even 10 Nik Azizs would not be able to change the present bunch of Umnoputras and cronies to continue to practising rampant corruption and racial discrimination. Having said this,I think he now wanted to get rid of Umno within PR .However I think MY and NR will pretend to keep on persuading PAS in order to hood wink the malays and muslims into believing that Umno wanted unity.
#4 by monsterball on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 1:38 pm
As for Anwar…he should prepare himself for the worst to be politically assassinated by Najib…and with that worst…Malaysians will produce the best results for him.
He should not think he is indespensible.
That may lead him to the traps on Najib.
As sure as all knows Anwar is being framed..he can try his best to fight the lost cause with prayers to Allah to defend the innocent.
And out in the open…he should come out to defend Lim Guan Eng and Kahlid and not keep quiet.
Good or bad….these are his key assistants and anything proven wrong by UMNO B on these two…is indirectly hitting hard at his no good leadership.
#5 by ktteokt on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 1:39 pm
Assuming PAS is a can of oil and UMNO is a can of water, both of the same colour, it is impossible for the two to mix! And even if they are mixed by “force”, the result would be a THICK EMULSION which is not at all transparent and fluid, but it is opaque and sticky!
#6 by son of perpaduan on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 1:47 pm
# Sheriff singh,
Try put yourself into DSAI shoes? from the begining of the PKR/PR struggle, nothing gonna be easy for them. You must understand, this giant tree (umno-bn) roots have been well grown and all bad roots firmly gripping deeply underneath soil, therefore, we must support him till the final moment for the sake of our future. Give him a chance to replants more and better trees so that it can bear more fruits for the next generation.
#7 by k1980 on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 2:12 pm
Jib’s favourite dream nowadays— nik aziz, hadi and all the leaders of pas decide to join umno
Anwar’s favourite dream nowadays— the dna from saiful’s rectum actually came from the female DPP’s strap-on
#8 by sheriff singh on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 2:17 pm
Unfortunately time is not on his side and he must realise this. Most PR leaders are already in their late 60s and 70s and they do not hot have good, reliable, trustworthy second and third generation leaders to take over, at least in numbers.
What we see are a lot of shady characters who I do not trust and will not vote for. Each have their agendas and ulterior motives and are forming their factions. Just look at the characters we have in PR Selangor.
So say what you like but I don’t think PR will ever have a stable government anywhere, not even in Penang, and the coalition will have to firefight all the time instead of govern. BN and its various apparatus will see to it that it will not be a bed of roses.
And if UMNO were to fall, you can bet they won’t go away peacefully. You can count on their members giving you all a hard time, a very hard time, making life difficult for you. It is their trademark if you haven’t notice it yet.
Will a shaky PR government have a smooth ride? What are your plans to meet these eventualities so that we have a strong, stable, reliable PR government? Or will we all have a factionalised government? Does PR have a clear ideology or philosophy that all its members accept, obey and comply?
#9 by Godfather on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 2:25 pm
If they have to cut the hands off every UMNO politician or supporter who steals from the rakyat, there will be no UMNO members left.
PAS is God-fearing. UMNO fears there is no money.
#10 by sheriff singh on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 2:30 pm
PR has yet to set it house in order after 2 1/2 years. One would have expected to see some evidence of it being much more different and better than BN but such evidence is still very lacking.
Sure, PR has problems with BN giving it a hard time but what I am talking about are things WITHIN the PR government and administration.
PR too has mant “Small, Medium and Big Napoleons” within its ranks each with his / her own agenda. And Anwar cannot do anything about it. This is a fact.
Unless PR can sort itself out, don’t expect anything spectacular in the 13th GE. Excuses won’t help it. You will all have had your chance. Will PR blow it?
#11 by frankyapp on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 2:58 pm
Does PR have a clear ideology or philosophy that all its members accept, obey and comply? ///Sheriff Singh . It’s a good question,frankly my answer is “NO”, PR does not and can never have and so are all other political parties including Umno. In another word,there’s no such thing as “perfect”.let alone politic. I agree that we are in for some kind of political tumoil if PR is voted to victory even say by more than 2/3 majority but this’s only a probablity,hence malaysians must be prepared for some ugly trouble if we voted for change. Nothing comes easy,Rome is not built in a day,so did the West won only after several decades through thousands of battles .However nowadays with “people’s Power ” and with politicians coming to maturity,peace can be restored though like I said with a certain ugly prize.And in the long run,a change for the better is still worthwhile than being in the ugly stage under the present regime in power.
#12 by artemisios on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 3:06 pm
i have absolute faith in Nik Aziz’s strength. I believe no amount of tricks, pressures or lies from umno will successfully draw PAS to the dark side.
HOWEVER, i can’t say the same about the rest of the top men in PAS. Let’s not name names but we know quite a number of them are not as principally strong as tok guru, as shown in the 1st “unity talks” attempt. Some of the top guys in PAS were actually in favour (if not totally excited) about the idea of “unity talks”.
Let’s pray for Nik Aziz & PAS. May strong, true, and honest Islamic principals prevail……. over the lies, hatred, and insecurity that umno is trying to create in the name of Islam.
#13 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 3:12 pm
Assuming PAS is a can of oil and UMNO is a can of water, both of the same colour, it is impossible for the two to mix! And even if they are mixed by “force”, the result would be a THICK EMULSION which is not at all transparent and fluid, but it is opaque and sticky! – ktteokt
I think that’s what they want, opaque and sticky. It will create distrust among members of the PR coalition and its supporters, at the same time, enticed by the spirit of Hidup Melayu a few frogs will jump over to UMNO’s side.
#14 by monsterball on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 4:26 pm
The master of all Twisters….Mahathir said he will not sue Barry Wain because court case takes too long.
I guess our mamak is smarter than Lee Kuan Yew.
I can never forget CNN Ms Zain threw so many questions on corruptions to Mahathir in an interview that caught mamak by surprise.
He mouth twisting putting out half smiles and replying nonsense..thinking he was sarcastic.
Later…he told UMNO B Malays Ms.Zain is not qualified to interview him.
Yes…..anyone against UMNO B are not qualified people.
The smartest are UMNO B worms and thieves.
#15 by ktteokt on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 6:04 pm
If UMNO wanted to talk to PAS, they would have done so decades ago when PAS was still a component party in BN! Why wait till today when PAS has left the coalition that UMNO suddenly feel it necessary to hold talks with PAS on the pretence of “MALAY UNITY”? Then what about the Malays in PKR, what about the Malays in DAP? Is UMNO going to hold talks with them too? Otherwise, what “MALAY UNITY” is UMNO talking about?????? And it has the guts to put up this enormous signboard with the letters “UMNO – UNITED Malays National Organization” above PWTC!
#16 by c730427 on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 7:49 pm
I wish the Malay community could contribute 10 times more economic wealth than the non-Muslims. This will be a real breakthrough. To achieve this, the Malay people must have more than UMNO, PERKASA, PAS to represent them. In fact, it is my wish to see all Malays are more vocal about their thoughts and ideas.
#17 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 9:20 pm
In politics, there r no permanent enemies or friends
Semangat 46 kaki had shown us d reality of politics
#18 by monsterball on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 - 11:43 pm
That is what UMNO B hope it to be..boh-liao
But there will be permanent different roads to travel.
DAP have been constant since the day it was formed.
PAS have changed for the better…but have proven in the past….can live with the devils in one house in the past.
Anwar should not be so sure PAS-UMNO talks will never take place.
In the name of their race and religion and so call unity…PAS can change.
Nik Aziz is constant too….but what happen…if he is no more b PAS?
Hadi Awang respecting Nik is tagging along…
keDIALan may never co-operate with UMNO B right now…one can never know.
Yes….ONLY DAP is constant.
Semagat 46?…why Razaleigh have proven what he is always…a very selfish calculative person for personal benefits only..and look at Rias Yatim. What a turncoat he became.
#19 by storm62 on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 12:27 am
hi monty, long time no see….Najis on leave until 10th Aug…something big is coming up i think….fasten your seat belts.
#20 by yhsiew on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 12:50 am
With so much infighting going on in UMNO (e.g. the recently reported Selangor UMNO and Terengganu UMNO), it is not at all surprising that UMNO is looking to recruitment of Malay candidates from other political parties to strengthen itself before the party collapses.
#21 by monsterball on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 3:07 am
Wow Storm62….Nice talking to you again.
Lets hope something nice for all Malaysians to read and hear.
It will be a miracle to get MACC nail him on Mongolian lady murder and corruptions.
#22 by Bigjoe on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 7:32 am
There is no a significant group of PAS leaders like Khalid Samad, Nizar,Mahfuz Omar that would not accept joining with UMNO without fundamental agreement on key ideology – on corruption, ISA, etc Even if a power hungry group can pull it off, it will not be unity. PKR will gain and many BN component parties will have to leave especially in Sarawak and Sabah. Its NOT guaranteed that a UMNO-PAS combo can hold on to power for very long time.
#23 by dagen on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 8:37 am
Sure you wanna join up with pas, umno? You sure of that? Pas is not joining you. They said so many times. So any work together between you two can take place only when you join them. Dont even think of merger. Just get ready and be aborbed into pas. You wanna do that? And be god-fearing, huh? And give up your cayennes and ferraris and mansions and villas you acquired with dirty money or through dirty means, huh? And those fatty contracts? And and not “make a deal” here and “make a deal” there. Can you, huh? Can you not do that as well? And remember to yeild that pm position to pas?
Tell you wot, umno. Ask all umnoputras. Yeah ask them. How many of them are prepared to give up their lavish and expansive lifestyle? Resolve that question first before you think about getting yourself aborbed into pas Alright? Some in pas want to pakat with umno, it seems. Many in umno do not want to pakat with pas, I say – in fact many many in umno.
#24 by Godfather on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 9:02 am
All UMNO wants is the poor Malays’ votes. They go round telling all the Malays it’s in the interest of unity, and put the fear in them that unless there is Malay unity, their rights would be trampled by the non-Malays.
UMNO goes round telling the rich UMNOputras: don’t worry, you will still get your share of the goodies once we are entrenched in power. You will get the lion’s share of the NEP benefits. We will still massage the numbers so that there is a never ending stream of benefits for the Malays.
So the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer – that’s the inevitable outcome of any UMNO-PAS pact.
#25 by Thor on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 9:06 am
Umno is trying desperately to woo and corrupt Pas!
As Pas use to play flip flop every now and then, I doubt if they are really sincere with PR.
I trust Tok Nik Aziz but as for others, I’m not quite sure.
PR must be fully prepared for the worst.
#26 by Thor on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 9:18 am
Umno can only survive when there’s disunity among the race. That’s why they’re trying hard to cause a split by stirring up alot of racist act.
#27 by dawsheng on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 9:43 am
UMNO has given up hopes on its coalition partners to win the next general election.
#28 by boh-liao on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 10:14 am
4 a seasoned politician, AI should hv learnt 2 NEVER say NEVER in politics, bcos politics is abt possibilities, semua pun boleh
Today politicans go after each other throats n holes, 2moro they suck n lap up each other thingy, flaccid or tumescent
#29 by Godfather on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 10:19 am
Bottom line is that UMNO thinks that the rakyat is still stupid and can be conned easily.
#30 by boh-liao on Thursday, 29 July 2010 - 2:08 pm
TEMPTATION 2 kaya raya beyond one’s wildest dream under UmnoB juicy no-penalty corrupt patronage system will eventually win some Malay or pseudoMalay politicians 2 join d dark force under d grand mirage of Hidup Bangsa & Ketuanan Melayu – remember ‘Blood is thicker than water’