PAS is still not interested in the proposed Malay unity talks with Umno although it has been suggested that a panel comprising vice-chancellors from all public universities mediate fresh talks between the two political rivals.

PAS central committee member Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli said today that his party is only interested in a national unity talk.

"Any kind of narrow and racial talk will not give rise to a peaceful situation. PAS is more concern with a national unity talk with all political parties, not just Umno," he told malaysiakini .

The Star today reported that a panel comprising vice-chancellors of all government universities in the country has been proposed to mediate fresh talks between Umno and PAS.

Dr Mohd Agus Yussuf, a political science lecturer from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia told the paper in an interview that the panel of Malay academicians and intellects could help put back on track the stalled unity talks between the two parties.

The academicians, he said, could also address the Malay split which he said has reached "critical" point.

While urging academicians to take on a more prominent role in the face of the worsening divide among the Malays, Aggus said both Umno and PAS could draw up their own mechanisms and forward it to the panel.

He said the panel would then find the means to enable both sides to come to the meeting table.

Collision of ideologies

"It is not possible to get the so-called unity talks off the ground if both sides go to the meeting table with a 'collision' of ideologies," he added.

Hatta said that everyone is aware of PAS' ideology but the problem with the proposed unity talks is that it does not address the issue of national unity.

"We maintain that the Malays are united. The only disunity Umno is talking about is the disunity with the Malays who are no longer supporting Umno," he said.

On the need for mediators, Hatta said the basis of the talks was inappropriate to begin with.

"If the basis is correct and by that we mean let's talk about national unity, we do not need any mediators," he added.

The talks, proposed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had been stalled since last year due to several issues that both parties could not see eye to eye. One of them is the Terengganu oil royalty problem.