Umno is open to talks on national unity in its proposed meeting with PAS, said Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad today. However, he said that priority will be given to discussion on Malay unity during the meeting.

"We can discuss about national unity but we want to start with Malay unity talks first," said Mahathir after chairing a three-hour Umno supreme council meeting.

He added that Umno does not reject the suggestion by PAS president Fadzil Noor to include national unity matters in the proposed talks.

According to Mahathir, the talks will now only involve PAS and Umno as Keadilan has rejected the invitation on grounds that it is a multiracial party.

Open discussion

Umno proposed early this month for full-scale discussions between leaders of Umno, PAS and Keadilan on issues pertaining to the Malay unity, adding that such talks would be done with no pre-conditions imposed on PAS and Keadilan for them to join the discussions.

The proposal was mooted by Umno's management and disciplinary committee and the suggestion was brought to the party's supreme council for discussion today.

Mahathir said that members of the supreme council were given the opportunity to voice their views on the talks, adding that all preliminary preparations will be done by the secretary-generals of Umno and PAS.

Mahathir also said that the council has not decided on the agenda of the talks.

"We will approach the talks with an open mind. We will not dictate our terms to them and they, too, won't want to do that," he said.

He said that Umno's motive to suggest such a talk was to unite the divided Malays.

"The division is too obvious," he added.

Letter of rejection

Mahathir also mentioned that Umno recently received a letter from Keadilan stating its rejection to the talks.

Keadilan's letter, signed by its president Dr Wan Aziziah Wan Ismail, also noted that there was no disunity amongst the Malays but only a shift in Malay support to the opposition, he said.

Keadilan has rejected the proposed talks on the grounds that any such talks should include national matters, such as corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement of the economy, police brutality and Executive interference in the judiciary.

PAS too has said previously that it was only agreeable to join the talks on the condition that they include matters pertaining to national unity.

PAS' reaction

Meanwhile, in an immediate reaction to what Mahathir said at the supreme council meeting, PAS leader Fadzil told malaysiakini that his party is willing to hold talks with Umno "only if the scope is widened to include national unity".

"We agree to hold the talks provided that we are allowed to discuss national unity and not Malay unity alone," Fadzil reiterated.

PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar, however, is standing his ground, saying that PAS has decided in its central committee meeting - held last Saturday - that the party "totally rejects Malay unity talks".

"Even if Malay unity is one of the issues, we will not agree to hold the talks with Umno. If Umno publicises the talks as a 'Malay unity' talk, we will not attend. We do not want Malay unity talks.

"We want the talks to be on national unity - not on Malay unity. Yes, we have accepted the invitation but that does not mean that we would attend the talks if they are on Malay unity. This is what we have agreed to in PAS," said Mahfuz.

Earlier, when Mahathir was asked by a journalist to comment on Mahfuz's strong stand against the proposed talks, he said, "We only listen to the president".