UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has pinned the blame on PAS for Muafakat Nasional’s (MN) current predicament, saying that this only happened after the Islamic party had decided to join Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Mohamad, who is better known as Tok Mat, said that PAS had even refused to cooperate with UMNO during the Melaka state polls last year after being told to contest using its own logo and not under PN’s banner.

“Yet UMNO has been accused of betraying MN for something that PAS did. The truth is, we (UMNO) have never ditched them (PAS). They were the ones who broke ties with MN and were inconsistent,” Utusan Malaysia reported him as saying.

“They (PAS) then accuse us of betraying MN although they were the ones who contested under PN’s banner. This is why when people ask me about MN, I can only say that it is already in its last legs.”

Mohamad told the Malay daily that UMNO was far from upset with PAS’ decision to join PN but stressed that UMNO should not be blamed for MN’s current predicament.

“That’s their right and their choice but this is the reason why MN is failing – because PAS joined the alliance,” he remarked.

Last month, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said MN remains intact unless UMNO declares the dissolution of the alliance.

He said that while UMNO leaders such as party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had been at odds with PAS, there had been no official declaration that the pact was done for.

According to Mohamad, it falls on him to be firm to correct the people’s perception that UMNO is a traitor who is behind all of MN’s woes.

“We have never once said we have left MN. All UMNO said was, if you (PAS) want to return to MN, then do so alone and don’t bring someone new along with you.” – June 15, 2022