Now and then, signs of dissatisfaction and rifts between certain PAS leaders and Anwar Ibrahim tend to emerge.

And the latest example is evident in former PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan’s (left) remarks regarding the national consensus between Pakatan Rakyat and BN, mooted by the opposition leader.

Noting how PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s “brilliant” idea of a unity government was shot down in the past, the PAS committee member said the same must not happen with the national consensus move.

However, Nasrudin cautioned that it should be not accepted in toto just because the plan came from Anwar.

“I do not want it to be accepted just because the idea comes Anwar without going through the due process of research, scrutiny, debate and consensus involving all Pakatan parties in,” he said.

Recalling what had unravelled following the 2008 general election, Nasrudin said the unity government plan was killed after a “vile perception” was put forth that Hadi was planning to merge PAS with Umno.

“Although the president denied this repeatedly, the perception remained... The unity government idea was rejected because of the exposure of meetings between PAS and Umno leaders.

“These meetings were used to justify the allegation that there is a clandestine attempt to take PAS into Umno... This eventually forced the president to retract the idea,” he said.

Just like in the past, Nasrudin said meetings between the opposition and Umno leaders continue to take place, the latest being in London between PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Temerloh MP also claimed that he was informed that Anwar had asked Hadi to attend the meeting with Zahid as well.

“But Hadi (above) excused himself, and I believe that he is just being cautious after the bitter experience with regards to the unity government plan,” he added.