KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng has refuted rumours of talks with Pas for the party to join the federal government.
He said he had met DAP ministers and they had said that such talks were never discussed.
"At the pre-council briefing session for government members of parliament yesterday in Sri Perdana, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not mention such talks with Pas," he said in a statement on Facebook.
Instead, he said Anwar was unhappy at the extreme politicisation of government investments by the opposition, especially dragging BlackRock into the procurement of MAHB by Khazanah Nasional Bhd via its wholly owned subsidiary UEM Group Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund.
"(Anwar) said if this logic is extended further, then Malaysia would have to break off diplomatic relations with the United States for their support of Israel. This does not make sense.
"Even Saudi Arabia has links with BlackRock," the Bagan MP said.
He said it was clear that those trying to manufacture the false impression that DAP is involved with talks to bring Pas into the federal government merely wanted to tarnish his party's image.
"Those in the unity government must stop harping on rumours that will confuse the people, especially when we are facing a difficult Sungai Bakap by-election in Penang.
"Otherwise, they will be no different from having your body in the unity government while your heart is outside," he said.
On June 22, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil was non-committal when he was asked if there were discussions on the possibility of Pas joining the unity government.
He had said many discussions were ongoing between both groups.
On the same day, Pas dismissed claims suggesting that there was discussion about the possibility of the Islamist party joining the unity government.
Its deputy president, Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, had said the party has no plans to join the unity government and that there were no discussions held over the matter.