KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had officially invited PAS to join the Unity Government.

During an interview with Time magazine, Anwar, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat president and Pakatan Harapan chairman, said there had not been a clear rejection nor a positive response from the Islamist party.

“The political climate is still a bit heated, so we’ll let it cool off for some time.

He talked of the possibility of PAS joining the government, “I don’t want to preclude that. Of course, contingent upon these major policy conditions being accepted.

“On whether we are prepared to engage with them, of course we do. We must. And I’ve sent [an invitation] to them.

“I have been open to the idea from the beginning. After all, this is a unity government and we do what is best for our country.

“But of course, we are going to draw a line. Islam is the religion of the Federation [of Malaysia], but this is a multireligious country and I want every single citizen in this country, of all religious persuasions, to know that they have a place in this country.”