A slew of meetings were held between Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and PAS representatives to forge political cooperation. But in the end, nothing materialised.

And Bersatu's strategist Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff pinned the blame on a group of five within PAS, whom he accused of “working hard for Umno”.

He named them as PAS election director Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan, PAS lawmakers Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali and Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz and PAS research director Ahmad Zuhdi Marzuki.

"Whenever we discuss something, the five will come out at great lengths to discredit what has been signed between (PAS deputy president) Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and Bersatu.

"Their guns will be pointed towards (Bersatu chairperson) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) and this is their strategy. We understand that.

"But remember my message to this five is that they are betraying the people's trust in them," he told Malaysiakini.

Rais believes “the vast majority” of the PAS grassroots...