State Umno chief Jamil Khir Baharom said the claim by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan was false. He said he was disappointed that Takiyuddin had made such an allegation.

“We are forced to deny this claim to avoid any negative and unwanted perception,” he said in a statement.

Earlier today, Takiyuddin said Umno’s top leadership, including the party president and the Kedah state leadership, had been invited to attend the PAS muktamar.

The claim came a day after the party had seemingly shut the door to any further collaboration with PAS under the Muafakat Nasional alliance between the two parties.

Last night, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was time for the party to move ahead without PAS after PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the two parties had never declared the alliance as dead.

The alliance was established to unite the Malay-Muslim vote, but ties between the two parties grew strained after PAS joined Bersatu to form Perikatan Nasional.

FMT has sought a response from Takiyuddin.