 Dec 15: PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali said the party's defeated former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa and Selangor state exco Hasan Ali (pics, right) were being used by UMNO to undermine the Islamic party.
Commenting on statements by the duo as published in UMNO mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, the veteran PAS leader said both could be unwittingly used as pawns by UMNO.
"Whether they realise it or not, they are being trapped in the agenda of PAS's political enemy," Mustafa told Harakahdaily during an interview, in what is believed to be the first public reaction by a party leader to recent remarks by the duo agreeing to calls by UMNO leaders for unity with PAS.
 Saying that although there would be "minimal effects" from UMNO's advances to the duo, Mustafa (left) opined that their statements were not in the interest of PAS.
"In the past, we had experienced the loss of our president, but it was not followed by exodus of members, because they subscribed to principles, not to individuals," recalled the former Kuala Terengganu member of parliament, who once served as a deputy minister during PAS's brief alliance with UMNO in 1977. Mustafa is believed to be referring to the late Mohd Asri Muda, who resigned as PAS president in 1983 to form a splinter party, before joining UMNO in 1988.
'Stay put even if not contesting'
Earlier, following Hasan's failure to secure enough nominations from PAS members to defend his Gombak Setia state constituency in the next general election, UMNO-controlled media have been giving wide coverage to Hasan, and quoted him as saying that he was prepared to take up an offer from prime minister Najib Razak to mediate efforts to bring the country's two largest political entities together. Hasan, who once chaired Selangor PAS, had also denied that he would leave PAS, saying he would be loyal as long as Islamic principles and the Malay rulers were upheld.
 While Nasharuddin, who lost to Mohamad Sabu in party polls this year, had reportedly said that he found PAS's politics as "strange"
Meanwhile, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan (right) advised Hasan to stay put in the Islamic party even if he was not selected as a candidate in the coming polls.
Nasrudin also denied a report in Utusan Malaysia quoting him as saying that Hasan would be dropped as a candidate.
“Utusan had asked me if Hasan would be dropped as candidate. I replied that it would be decided by PAS central committee," said Nasrudin.
According to the practice in PAS, the final approval of candidates in general election will come from the party's Shura Council which advises the party on important policy matters.
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