Former Umno leader Isham Jalil has expressed his desire to work with PAS to help elevate one of the party’s leaders to become the next prime minister, citing their credibility in combating corruption and money politics.
In a video posted on Facebook, Isham said Malaysia continues to face issues such as the awarding of government projects to tycoons in exchange for kickbacks, a practice he claims contributed to Umno and Barisan Nasional’s defeat in the 2018 general election.
He said such practices persist under the current unity government and could only be resolved through a specific law on political funding.
“This requires a prime minister who is willing to fight and comes from a party with a clean record. When you look at PAS, they appear to have the least corruption issues,” he said.
“That is why I want to work with PAS and support one of their leaders as prime minister,” he added.
However, he clarified that he is not a PAS member.
Isham, a former Umno Supreme Council member, was sacked from the party in December 2023 following his criticism of the party, in particular, its cooperation with DAP as part of the unity government.
Since then, he has been seen aligning with the opposition, including speaking at a Perikatan Nasional (PN) rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 26.
The question of who should be PN’s prime ministerial candidate in the next general election has long been a point of contention.
In November last year, PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin denied that Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin had been confirmed as PN’s official candidate, insisting that PAS should lead the coalition.
Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar is among PAS leaders frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for the top post.
However, several leaders from Bersatu and Gerakan have continued to back Muhyiddin as PN’s choice for prime minister.
On July 29, Hashim said PN would only decide on its prime ministerial candidate after successfully taking over the federal government.
