KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — PAS yesterday endorsed Parti Wawasan Negara’s bid to join Perikatan Nasional (PN), as party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia was free to decide whether it wanted to remain in the Opposition coalition.

According to Harian Metro, Hadi said PAS was open to accepting Parti Wawasan Negara into PN and that the majority of the coalition’s component parties had agreed to the move in line with its constitution.

“PAS supports and accepts Parti Wawasan Negara joining PN.

“The cooperation between PAS and Parti Wawasan Negara is not a new alignment; rather, we are strengthening what already exists. We will further energise PN,” he told reporters after the RESET Convention in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, yeserday.

Also present were Gerakan president Datuk Dominic Lau, Reset movement founder Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, PN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud.

Hadi added that PAS remained committed to strengthening PN, noting that the coalition’s current chairman was from the Islamist party.

“PAS agrees to accept Parti Wawasan Negara into PN because PAS is open. It is after the majority of component parties, in accordance with the constitution, agreed to accept Parti Wawasan Negara.

“The process is that when a party wishes to apply to join PN, it must submit an application and we will bring the matter to a meeting,” he said, as reported by the national daily.

Asked about Bersatu’s position in PN, Hadi said the matter was for the party itself to decide.

“We have already parted ways with Bersatu and it is up to that party whether it wants to leave or walk away because that is its own matter,” he said.

The development comes after PAS officially decided to end its political cooperation with Bersatu on June 8.

Speaking at the same convention earlier, Hamzah, who is the Larut MP, announced that he and the RESET movement would operate under Parti Wawasan Negara, describing it as a platform for cooperation with PAS and other like-minded parties.

“Many people have asked me which party I, together with RESET, will be under. Here, I wish to announce that I will be with Parti Wawasan Negara.

“The name was given by Ayah Chik (Abdul Hadi).

“This party has just been born and is still taking its first steps. We want to work together with PAS, Gerakan and other parties. Insya-Allah, we will come together to build a consensus,” he said.

KOTA BHARU, June 13 — Family ties in Malaysia have been identified as a key factor attracting illegal migrants, including Rohingya as well as Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals, to enter the country through the Malaysia-Thailand border.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said many viewed Malaysia as their final destination rather than Thailand because they had family members or relatives here who could provide support upon arrival.

He said the factor was particularly significant among the Rohingya community, many of whom were willing to take great risks to enter the country illegally.

“Malaysia is their final destination. The main reason is that they have family members or relatives who have long settled in this country and serve as a support system when they arrive here.

“For the Rohingya in particular, these family ties play a major role in their decision to enter Malaysia,” he told Bernama recently.

Mohd Yusoff said illegal entries through the Malaysia-Thailand border remained an almost daily challenge for enforcement authorities.

As such, he has directed all district police headquarters (IPDs) in Kelantan to intensify operations against illegal migrants and not rely solely on the General Operations Force (GOF).

“I have issued firm instructions to all IPDs across Kelantan to carry out continuous operations, particularly against migrants entering through Thailand,” he said.

Based on police observations, most migrants use Thailand as a transit point before continuing their journey to Malaysia.

According to Mohd Yusoff, Thai authorities generally do not face issues involving large numbers of migrants as long as they do not remain in the country for extended periods

On the presence of Rohingya communities in Kelantan, he said police had identified settlements in several locations, including Tanah Merah.

However, he stressed that the situation remained under control and was being closely monitored by the authorities.

Although migrant-related matters generally fall under the jurisdiction of the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Mohd Yusoff said police continue to play a role in maintaining security and monitoring foreign communities in the state.

“This monitoring is important to ensure that any criminal elements or social problems can be prevented and do not affect public safety and order,” he said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded Rohingya refugees in the country to comply with local laws and regulations or face stern action.

He said while Malaysia adopts a humanitarian approach, the group must still comply with the country’s laws, including rules on the use of premises and business operations. — Bernama