KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu Umno today delivered a scathing rebuke of Pas, declaring that it remains deeply scarred by past betrayals and is “2,000 times” more disappointed with the Islamic party than with DAP.
Speaking during the Umno General Assembly 2025 debate, Terengganu delegate Nurhisam Johari said any attempt to revive the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact must confront the bitter memories and humiliations endured by Umno during the alliance’s first iteration.
“Just as people in states where DAP exists are disappointed with its flaws, we in Terengganu are 2,000 times more disappointed with the actions of Pas leaders,” he said.
Nurhisam, who is Dungun Umno division deputy chief, claimed Terengganu Umno was sidelined and excluded from meaningful consultation under various pretexts when the now-defunct alliance was active.
“In Terengganu, when MN 1.0 was in place, Umno suffered various humiliations. We were not given space for consultation and were completely sidelined,” he said when speaking about the political alliance forged between Umno and Pas after the 2018 general election.
The two Malay-Muslim parties have been traditional rivals in Terengganu for more than six decades, often engaging in fierce contests for both parliamentary and state seats.
Nurhisam said that during this period, Pas leaders had frequently targeted Umno with labels ranging from “hypocrites” and “disbelievers” to equating party members with animals.
He said that calls to revive MN must be met with genuine proof of change rather than rhetoric, adding that forgiveness cannot be taken for granted.
“If the effort to revive Muafakat Nasional is still on people’s lips, then we in Terengganu remain firm that tolerance and sincere forgiveness must first be genuinely proven,” he said.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
