The former Bangi assemblyman told FMT this was to ensure that it could achieve its agenda of uniting the ummah, adding that it was impossible to wrest Selangor from Pakatan Harapan without working with Umno.
While PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had said the party could not remain under MN if Umno insisted on not accepting Bersatu into the fold, Shafie said Hadi’s statement must be balanced with each state chapter’s views and needs.
“What’s important is that the unity of the ummah is prioritised. If other parties or NGOs are on the same page as us, they can join (MN).
“On paper, when it comes to GE15, if we’re not with Umno, we won’t win Selangor,” he said, acknowledging the central PAS leadership’s view that Bersatu had a role in uniting the ummah.
Shafie said the decision by other Umno state chapters to break ties with PAS, even in Kelantan, was just an “election strategy”, based on what suited the demographic and “pattern” of voters there.
Hadi had previously accused Umno of breaching the MN agreement by refusing to allow Bersatu to join the pact formalised in 2019.
During the Melaka elections in November, PAS chose to contest with Bersatu under the Perikatan Nasional banner but lost in all the eight seats it contested. Barisan Nasional won with a landslide to form the new state government there.
Yesterday, Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar said the state chapter wanted to continue working with PAS in the state.
This was despite Kelantan Umno’s decision to contest against PAS in all state and parliamentary seats there in the next elections.
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