PN deregistration frees PAS to pursue Umno ties, says spiritual leader

The deregistration of Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaves PAS free to pursue cooperation with Umno, says the Islamic party’s spiritual leader Hashim Jasin.

He said the move would not hurt PAS but would affect Bersatu the most, as it had long relied on PAS’s strength in PN, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“PAS can focus on cooperating with Umno, which the people have long awaited.

“A PAS-Umno coalition or cooperation will give a big advantage in the 16th general election,” he said, adding that PAS would find it “easier” to win GE16 under such an arrangement.

The Registrar of Societies (RoS) deregistered PN after finding that the coalition’s explanation failed to address the grounds stated in an earlier notice.

The RoS acted on a complaint by Bersatu, which alleged that it was denied the right to attend, speak and vote at a PN Supreme Council meeting on July 16.

The deregistration came ahead of a High Court hearing today on PN’s application to quash a show-cause notice and a separate notice suspending the coalition’s activities.

It means PN cannot use its logo in the upcoming Melaka polls, although its component parties may contest under their own emblems.

Bersatu has described the deregistration as evidence of PAS’s failure to manage the coalition democratically and transparently, while PAS has called it an attempt to pre-empt the court and weaken the opposition ahead of the Melaka election.