PETALING JAYA: PAS leaders say they are aware of the meeting between Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and 11 other opposition parties but did not participate due to "circumstances".

PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man stated that Muhyiddin was expected to brief Perikatan on the developments that transpired during the meeting on Friday (July 18).

Although a main component of Perikatan, PAS was absent from the meeting, raising questions as to whether the party leaders were invited.

"There is no difference in opinion between us and Bersatu. Muhyiddin is the Perikatan chairman, and he will present what has transpired during the meeting with the non-government bloc for all of us in Perikatan to decide on, as he himself had stated. Although the meeting with the non-government was not discussed earlier in the Perikatan meeting, we know that this will be raised in the next meeting," said Tuan Ibrahim.

PAS vice president Datuk Idris Ahmad stated that PAS leaders could not attend the non-government meeting as PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and other leaders were still in Kedah on Friday.

"We were all still in Kedah then, after the ‘Himpunan Mandat Negarawan’ rally on Thursday night," said Idris.

On Saturday (July 19), Muhyiddin said that the purpose of the meeting with the 11 parties was to gather their views on the proposal to establish a cross-party coalition that will adopt a unified stance on matters affecting the interests of the people and the nation.

Among those present were the Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau, president of the Makkal Indian People Party (MIPP) Punithan Paramsiven; Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) president Datuk Ibrahim Ali.

Others included the deputy chairman of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), S Arutchelvan, Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) acting president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, Youth leader of the Malaysian People's Progressive Party (PPP), Sathiah Sudakaran, Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) president Zamani Ibrahim; United Malaysian People's Rights (Urimai) president Dr P Ramasamy and Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) president P. Waytha Moorthy.