According to news reports, former Umno man Khairuddin and ex-senator Ezam hope to join the opposition coalition, which just yesterday welcomed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) into its fold.

PPBM is the fourth member of the coalition after PKR, DAP and Amanah

“With Allah’s permission, if our party’s registration is approved by RoS, then Ezam and I, as our first step, will apply for it to become a member of the coalition,” Khairuddin told the Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Kharuddin said he hoped to be able to contribute to the cause by winning the support of the youth for the coalition.

He said the opposition camp was finally showing a united front, as advocated by PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“This makes me very happy. This should have been done from the start,” Khairuddin said.

He said the opposition also needed to continue negotiations with PAS for it to be included in the coalition.

The Islamist party has continued to resist overtures from members of the coalition, citing irreconcilable differences with DAP, which has staunchly opposed its efforts to amend the shariah law to give shariah courts greater punitive powers.

PAS has also threatened to stop working with Pakatan Harapan member PKR, which it said had shown PAS disrespect when the two parties were in the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

It has also accused PKR of interfering in the Penang Fatwa Committee’s decisions, among others.

PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah yesterday said the motion to part ways would be debated at the party’s general assembly in late April.