PAS Youth is dismayed with PKR for accepting Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaafar, who defected from PAS on Friday.

Youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Aziz said PKR should not have done this given that PAS and PKR were both partners in the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat.

He said Pakatan had a policy of never accepting members from each others' parties in the interest of cordial relation within the coalition.

He said elected representatives from other parties had wanted to join PAS before, but the Islamist party turned them away to honour the pact within Pakatan.

"We feel dismayed that our friend (PKR) accepted (a PAS member) who defected. We still hold true to our policy of maintaining cordial relations. We hope it will not happen again," he said at a press conference at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

PAS' Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar on Saturday questioned if PAS will maintain its cooperation with PKR after Kamaruddin's defection.

PAS earlier said it will not field candidates in areas contested by PKR in the 14th general election, but has no qualms contesting against former ally DAP.

Nik Abduh said PAS only took in Perak assemblyperson Sum Cheok Leng from DAP after DAP declared that it wanted nothing to do with the Islamist party.

"They cut ties with us. We accepted him (Sum) after ties with DAP were severed," he said.

Related reports

ROS: Parti Amanah Negara can't carry out activities yet

PAS may be caught in a trap of its own making

Rafizi: PKR to discuss new opposition coalition with PAS

Nik Abduh: PAS should remain in coalition to strengthen opposition