Hisham: BN can work with Opposition For Country's Good

Well Said Dato'Seri but we need to stress that an Islamic State isn't going to work in favour of BN and it's absolutely unworkable for Malaysia. Many Muslims too are against the idea of an Islamic State.


PUTRAJAYA: Barisan Nasional cannot compromise its principles but its component members must be open to possible cooperation with Opposition parties, said Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

What was ultimately important was the future of the country, he said. “If it does not jeopardise the security of the country, what's wrong? “It is when you are so concerned about things that may happen that you end up doing nothing,” he told newsmen after receiving a courtesy call from Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna here yesterday.

Hishammuddin said under the current political scenario all parties should find ways to meet the needs of the people. “The public wants to see more action and for their voices to be heard,”he said. “I am sure even the Opposition would like to see the business of nation-building be shared. "That is maturity in a democratic process and if that is happening in Malaysia, why should we be worried about what could or would happen?”

Hishammuddin was commenting on the possible cooperation between Umno and PAS. The issue surfaced when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in Terengganu on Saturday that PAS should not remain in Pakatan Rakyat if it truly wanted to propagate Islam. In response, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had said that the party would not go against PAS if it wanted to join the Barisan but PAS should abandon its plans to promote an Islamic state.

Hishammuddin said his opinions did not mean that Umno had agreed to cooperate with PAS. “Under the Barisan spirit, the coalition's principles cannot be compromised,” he said. “But in a situation where the world has changed, there is nothing wrong for us to think of the best ways without any strings attached.”