PUTRAJAYA (Dec 6): Umno does not intend to re-establish political cooperation with PAS.

In fact, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party has not heard rumours or received any proposal regarding this.

“We hope they would never try to dupe Umno again... as for now, Allah has not opened our hearts to re-establish a political cooperation with them.

“So, they should just stop daydreaming,” he said in response to PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s remarks that PAS is open to working with Umno again despite the bitter feud between both parties.

Tuan Ibrahim also reportedly said that any cooperation with Umno must be through the Perikatan Nasional platform, which also includes Bersatu.

Speaking to reporters after witnessing the presentation of donations to the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of Palestine (AAKRP) here on Wednesday, Zahid also called on Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil to attend and share his views on the results of the Kemaman parliamentary by-election at Umno’s supreme council meeting later.

He said Isham has been absent from Umno’s supreme council meeting three times.

“Hopefully, he will have the courage to come tonight,” he said.

Isham was reported to have said that Umno’s defeat in the Kemaman by-election was due to some Umno members being lackeys of DAP.

In the by-election last Saturday, the PAS-led Terengganu government maintained its status quo in Kemaman with Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri winning the parliamentary seat with a 37,220-vote majority.

He garnered 64,998 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor, who obtained 27,778 votes.

The by-election was held following the Terengganu Election Court’s decision on Sept 26 to nullify PAS candidate Che Alias Hamid's victory in the 15th General Election.