PAS and Umno's willingness to spread slander to incite Malay sentiments clearly shows their cooperation is only meant to restore their political relevancy and not to help the rakyat, Penang DAP vice-chairperson Zairil Khir Johari said today.

He said the two parties were political foes which contested against each other in almost every election.

"Can they now suddenly campaign together and allocate seats fairly between themselves?

"How do their grassroots feel? That they have to be sacrificed for the sake of their political masters' ambitions?" Zairil asked in a statement.

The Tanjong Bungah assemblyperson was referring to the formal political collaboration between the two largest Malay-based parties in Kuala Lumpur last week.

To strengthen ties, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang declared the party would not be contesting against BN in the coming GE15.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed hope that the union between the two parties would not break halfway, that it needs to be enhanced, nurtured and defended forever.

Zairil asked if the collaboration between the two parties could be successful since they were both "fierce enemies" opposing one another for six decades.

He said the union was merely to whip up Malay sentiments to oppose Pakatan Harapan, which is now the ruling coalition.

They are not interested in a more inclusive Malaysia, nor can they offer a better model for development, Zairil (photo) added.

"Instead, their model is based on racial sentiments and slander," said Zairil, who is also DAP national assistant publicity secretary.

He cited an example where Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri alleged that the halal certification is now issued by the Finance Ministry, currently led by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. 

"As a former minister, Ismail should be aware that his statement is false, totally illogical, but that is their level of desperation," Zairil said.

He also slammed Hadi for saying that DAP is the most powerful party in the Harapan government and that the party wants to accumulate wealth only for the Chinese, not for all. 

PAS and Umno had collaborated in the past but they could only withstand one election in 1974 although they had then formed a unity government in Kelantan.

Their animosity, however, caused a major breakup and an emergency was declared in Kelantan, and power was seized by the federal government.

"How can PAS work with Umno, which has caused so many problems to the country, and Malay-Muslim institutions?" Zairil asked.

"As a party that defends the Malays and Muslims, can they forgive Umno's betrayal, which caused the losses of billions of ringgit involving Tabung Haji, Felda, and Mara?

"If PAS can so easily give up all of Umno's misdeeds for the sake of power, this unity between the duo has made PAS Umno's biggest pawn. Not surprising if history repeats itself," he said.