KOTA BARU, MALAYSIA - The Pakatan Rakyat will benefit significantly if Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is allowed to rejoin Umno as he will cause chaos within Barisan Nasional, says Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

The PAS spiritual adviser is delighted with reports which indicated that Dr Mahathir would return to Umno.

'I think another round of excitement awaits Malaysia as it would be interesting to see him create chaos,' he told a press conference.

Earlier this year, the 85-year-old former prime minister quit Umno, citing disappointment with the present leadership of the party.

'I think it would be better for Dr Mahathir to reform Umno from within. I'm excited as this will weaken Umno. I didn't understand it when he chose to leave,' he said.

Asked on the move by Umno to suspend Bukit Bendera Umno division head Datuk Ahmad Ismail for three years over his racially sensitive remarks, Nik Abdul Aziz said the Government, not Umno, should have acted.

'They waited too long until severe damage was caused to the country's social fabric, when the Government should have responded instantly to avoid the issue from becoming racial,' Nik Abdul Aziz said.

'If it was another person, he would have been arrested under the Internal Security Act. It seems unfair to Malaysians,' he said.

On claims that Barisan MPs would defect to Pakatan by Sept 16, Nik Abdul Aziz said it was dishonourable to adopt party hopping as it betrayed the trust of voters.

However, he said, in the efforts to form the new Federal Government on Sept 16, honour should be put aside to free the counry of Barisan and in particular Umno, which he claimed was "tainted by corruption". -- The Star