Dr Mahathir and PAS have never had a cordial relationship as political opponents; the prime minister during his first tenure had frequently attacked the party for abusing Islam to win votes.
Putrajaya should cooperate with the governments of Kelantan and Terengganu to develop the two East Coast states, said PAS stalwart Mustafa Ali.
He said voters had given Pakatan Harapan the mandate to run and develop the country, and the federal government should not discriminate against the opposition.
“The central government surely wants to develop the country as best as it can. Likewise, those who run the state governments also want to develop their states after the election.
“The relationship between state and federal is vital. Both sides must have good communication in accordance with the principals of federalism,” Mustafa said in an interview with The Malaysian Insight (TMI).
The former PAS secretary-general said he had brokered a meeting between Terengganu Menteri Besar Dr Ahmad Shamsuri Mokhtar and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The meeting, on June 4, was also attended by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
After a long absence from PAS’ central leadership, Mustafa’s appearance with Hadi and Samsuri surprised certain quarters in the Islamist party, just as the meeting with Dr Mahathir meeting drew the attention of political observers.
Dr Mahathir and PAS have never had a cordial relationship as political opponents; the prime minister during his first tenure had frequently attacked the party for abusing Islam to win votes.
Mustafa said the meeting was intended to foster better working relationships between PAS and Dr Mahathir who is prime minister for the second time after May 9, and between Putrajaya and the PAS states, especially Terengganu which is in dire need of its oil royalties.
PAS retained control of Kelantan, which the party has ruled since 1990, and re-captured Terengganu which it had controlled for 20 years after the 1999 election.
For five years between 1999 and 2004, when Dr Mahathir was prime minister, the federal government and the two states had disputed over oil royalties.
Soon after the recent meeting, Samsuri announced the federal government had agreed to pay oil royalties directly to the state governments, including to PAS-led Terengganu and Kelantan.
“Based on our history, when the party ruling the state is not the same as party running the federal government, there’s always pressure on the state government,” Mustafa said.
“This was PAS’ experience in Kelantan and Terengganu and Kedah (after the 2008 general election) when there were no friendly relations between the federal government and the state.
“It certainly affected the party’s (PAS) ability to develop the state. Therefore, I think there should be a good relationship between the federal and the state.”
During that period, federal aid was not channelled directly to the state government but was distributed through a federal agency established in the state.
Mustafa said his views are shared by Hadi and Samsuri, who also felt there was a need for good relations between Putrajaya and the state.
He said at the meeting, all parties agreed Putrajaya’s relations with the states needed to be strengthened.
Dr Mahathir also promised to give petroleum royalties to the Terengganu government as stipulated in the agreement and Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto, Mustafa said.
He cited the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project as another area that benefited from cooperation between the federal and state governments.
“If there is no cooperation, this project will not be carried out because it requires state land, therefore this relationship needs to be there,” said Mustafa. – TMI