KUALA LUMPUR: An Umno Supreme Council member has poured cold water on a possibility of the party rekindling its political cooperation with Pas.
Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi said any suggestion for Umno and Pas to work together is not necessary at the moment as both Malay-dominant parties should just move on.
"There is no future. It (Any cooperation) will not last and will not benefit (either Umno or Pas). It was a missed opportunity (for Umno to work together with Pas) following the failure of the Muafakat Nasional (political cooperation).
"At that time, the issue enveloping (the ratification of) the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) had united Umno and Pas.
"However, all avenues for cooperation between both parties have come to a stall due to the political factor," said Puad, who is also the Johor state assembly speaker, in a posting on his Facebook account.
Although Puad he not identify any political leader in the posting, it was understood he was referring to a statement made by Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
Tuan Ibrahim had told an online portal today that his party was open to working with Umno again despite the 'bitter' history between both parties.
The Kubang Kerian member of parliament, however, said if both parties decided to cooperate again, it must be done through the Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc.
Puad, in the same social media posting, said the proposal for Umno and Pas to work together again was about brokering a mere "marriage of convenience" once again following the outcome of the recently-concluded Kemaman parliamentary by-election.
"Umno, alongside the unity government, will focus on prospering the country's economy and the people.
"On the other hand, Pas should focus on being a constructive opposition," he said.