Central working committee member Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said there was still an opportunity for political cooperation, particularly between PAS and Umno as Malay-Islamic parties.

“PN is a genuine effort by PAS. If Umno insists on rejecting it today, it should not be seen as an end to MN by either PAS or Umno. There will always be a solution,” he said in a Facebook post.

“Our success in politics as Muslims depends on our ability to overcome deadlocks.

“We are used to quarrelling in politics. It’s something we have to accept, but it cannot be a constant feature of Islamic politics.

“Disunity is not a sign of success as Muslims. Disunity and conflict will continue to bring us down.”

Nik Abduh reiterated the need for seat negotiations to avoid a three-cornered fight between Umno and PN in the 15th general election (GE15), adding that discussions by the PAS Syura Council emphasised the importance of continuous efforts to empower MN and PN.

“The Council also called for continued discussions and face-to-face meetings between Malay-Muslim parties. Problems must be faced with patience, open-heartedness, mutual forgiveness, and with the spirit of avoiding disputes in public,” he said.

Early last month, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was reported to have said that the Islamist party would reject MN if Umno refused to accept Bersatu and Malay-Muslim NGOs to the coalition.

He said based on the MN charter signed in September 2019, both parties were supposed to accept other parties, including Bersatu.

However, in response, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said that Bersatu was never part of the plan when the MN charter was signed.