(June 17): Despite DAP's declaration that Pakatan Rakyat is dead, former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the leaders of its component parties should strive to work things out.

Cooperation between PKR, PAS and DAP could not be allowed to fail in the interest of the opposition's political struggle for the next general election, which is due in 2018, Mohamad said.

"To me, there must be an effort to rekindle the relationship among the parties.

"To face the election, to fight Barisan Nasional, we must do it as a coalition. If alone, it is difficult to succeed.

"We have had a lot of experience like that," Mohamad, also known as Mat Sabu, told reporters at the Butterworth Sessions Court this morning, adding that this was his personal opinion since he was no longer in the PAS leadership.

On whether he agreed that Pakatan was truly dead, Mohamad said it was up to the leadership to discuss this.

"I am now just an ordinary member. I can't give comments about party policies. It is up to the new PAS leadership to decide.

"But our personal friendship will endure," he added.

Mat Sabu is known to share a good relationship with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister, since their younger days. Both were former Internal Security Act detainees.

The former Penang PAS commissioner is also known to be popular with non-Muslims and leaders from both DAP and PKR.

Asked if PR would now cease to be relevant to voters, Mat Sabu said he did not know.

"But what is sure is the people reject Barisan Nasional even without the PR coalition. That is clear if we look at the recent Permatang Pauh and Rompin by-elections... the new voters rejected BN.

"So there must be an effort (among PAS, PKR and DAP). The people don't want BN. How to coordinate to make sure the people don't vote for BN, efforts must be made.”

Lim yesterday declared that PR was dead, as it could no longer operate on consensus given PAS and its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's unilateral ways in disregarding common agreements of the PR leadership council.

These had include PAS's push for its hudud bill in Kelantan, and Hadi's tabling of a private member's bill in the Dewan Rakyat to amend a federal law that would allow hudud to be implemented in the east coast state.

Mat Sabu and other "progressive" leaders in PAS were also ousted at the Islamist party's recent elections, putting a further strain on PAS's ties with its PR allies since leaders from this faction had been more open to cooperation with the pact. – The Malaysian Insider