KUALA LUMPUR: It seems that all is well between Pas and Gerakan.
Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddn said the differences between leaders of the two component parties in the coalition have been resolved amicably.
"Every family has its ups and downs. (But) everything has been resolved through discussions among 'siblings'," wrote Hamzah on his Facebook.
He accompanied this with a photo of himself sitting with Gerakan President Datuk Dr Dominic Lau and several Pas leaders, including its deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
Earlier today, in a Facebook post, Lau shared that he and the Gerakan machinery went to Gua Musang to show support for the PN candidate for the Nenggiri by-election Rizwadi Ismail, from Pas.
"We from Gerakan will give our full support to the PN candidate," he wrote.
On July 28, Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong said the party would not hesitate to quit PN if its component parties do not respect the rights of non-Muslims.
Oh had said Gerakan would not mind leaving PN to defend Chinese education, and if they have to submit to "unreasonable" demands by "certain parties".
Oh was responding to Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari's remarks over Gerakan's stance on the issue of an alcohol company's donation to a vernacular school event.
Fadhli had described Gerakan's stance as "disappointing" and said it could affect Pas's cooperation with Gerakan in the next general election (GE16).
On Thursday, Pas election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said Gerakan may leave PN whenever the party wishes.
Sanusi, who is Kedah menteri besar, denied that he was being arrogant by telling off Gerakan, stressing that he was merely responding to the party's statement.
He said he believed Gerakan's stance on the issue was driven by the party's wishes to please Chinese voters.
The Nenggiri state seat by-election will see a straight fight between PN and Barisan Nasional's Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani.
Based on the latest Election Commission electoral roll, the state seat has 20,245 registered voters, with 14 of them being early voters.
The Nenggiri by-election was called after Kelantan Speaker, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, declared the seat, previously held by Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, vacant.
Azizi, who is also a Gua Musang member of Parliament, was among the seven elected representatives dismissed from Bersatu for supporting the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.