The Pandan MP and PKR vice-president said the report, if true, was a big blow to the credibility of PAS and Hadi.
“I urge Hadi to immediately clarify this report, as it has a major impact on the country and will influence developments in PKR’s and Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) internal politics.
“If this report is not true, then sue The Straits Times quickly and hold an emergency press conference to deny what has been written.
“If true, I wish to ask Hadi to unequivocally confirm that PAS has considered joining hands with Umno to take over Selangor,” Rafizi said in a statement.
According to the report, Hadi and Prime Minister Najib Razak had been in “near-daily contact for several months” to discuss plans for a political cooperation to capture Selangor.
Najib was also said to have spoken to Hadi frequently on the telephone, including during the PAS leader’s recuperation after heart surgery in May.
One plan they discussed was for PAS to contest 42 state seats in Selangor to reduce the Malay vote going to PH, the report said.
The report also quoted a source who said former Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who was removed by PKR in 2014, was being courted in a bid to reinstate him to the post in a PAS-Umno government.
Khalid, the report went on, had been seen visiting Najib’s office several times.
Recalling his stated stand that PH should be ready for 3-cornered fights involving PAS, Rafizi said the time had come for the differences on this issue among the top leadership of PKR to be put to rest.
Rafizi said he respected the efforts made by other leaders who were still trying to court PAS, even though there was no evidence to show that three-cornered fights would result in huge losses for PKR and the subsequent loss of the Selangor government.
In fact, he said, all the surveys carried out openly and transparently by his polling organisation Invoke showed the people would side with PKR and PH in three-cornered fights, as the people’s wishes were to change the government led by Najib urgently.
Rafizi noted that previously, he had taken stock of the need to give space to his colleagues in PKR to bring their negotiations with PAS to fruition.
“In considering several latest developments, such as Selangor PAS’ announcement to contest in 42 seats, as well as the news report of a cooperation between Umno and PAS, I will contact as many PKR leaders as possible to finalise PKR’s stand on PAS, as well as our commitment to PH,” he said.
He believed the differences in opinion among senior leaders in the political bureau and central leadership council would continue without agreement.
Hence, he said, a decision of such great importance could only be settled by taking into account the voice of the larger grassroots, and not decided by a few senior party leaders.
“Whatever the methods used, I would like to stress that PKR’s stand on cooperation with PAS and its commitment to PH must be decided once and for all and not left open-ended,” he added.