KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang described the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) as outdated and no longer represented Malay interests, in a sharp criticism of Umno ahead of national polls widely expected within a year.
The two parties are locked in a row over Malay nationalism, which came into the spotlight following the Bukit Kepong controversy, raised by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu while on the stump in Penang last month.
“BN is deliberately covering up election fraud. It’s making this an issue because we exposed that it was working with SPR (the Election Commission) and the ministries and (government) departments,” Hadi told a news conference after opening the party’s day-long convention to explain its “Negara Berkebajikan” concept.
“They are trying to cover up this, by raising issues that stir public sentiments and cause them to forget that the real issue of democracy and reviving democracy, by various means,” he said.
“Umno is using an outdated issue. Malays must not be deceived by this 60-year-old issue,” the party’s secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali added.
PAS, which forms one-third of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact, was among the top backers of the Bersih 2.0 rally last July 9 to demand the election process be cleaned up.
It is continuing this push in the PR bid to take over Putrajaya in the coming general election, likely to be called by the end of this year, after the BN presents a generous Budget in Parliament next month.
The majority Malay-Muslim party’s popularity has grown by leaps and bounds and has won over non-Muslims with its openness since Election 2008.
Hadi advised the BN government against attempting further bluff or offering further sweeteners to gain public trust, urging it instead to work on carrying out real reforms.
He said his party was serious and that was why it was pushing its “Negara Berkebajikan” concept as an alternative to what the BN had to offer the public.
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