UMNO information chief Annuar Musa’s remarks on working with PAS to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 is nothing but a bait for the Islamist party, said a PKR leader.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this was because in reality, Umno was not serious about pushing for the amendment, which would give shariah courts the power to mete out heavier penalties.

“Of all the Umno leaders, the only one who seems to be truly serious about PAS-Umno cooperation is Annuar. He shows a lot of interest in this matter.

“He is a veteran leader who understands the PAS psychology, so he plays up the RUU355 issue. But Umno’s position in this matter is not to push it,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 is also known as RUU355.

Citing the chronology of events concerning the proposed RUU355 amendment, Saifuddin said Prime Minister Najib Razak reportedly declared last year that Umno was prepared to work with PAS on the matter.

“At the time, Najib said PAS only had to table the bill and the government would take over from there. That was last year.

“Earlier this year, after a Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting, he said the federal government would not table or take over the RUU355 bill from PAS. Annuar, as the Umno information chief, knows this.

“For him to talk about ‘ta’awun’ (coordination) and bring up RUU355 again, Annuar is only baiting the Islamist party, trying to lure PAS into believing that Umno is serious about pushing for the RUU355 amendment.”

In Bachok on Saturday, Annuar reportedly said through the concept of “ta’awun” with PAS, a lot of good could be achieved, including amending RUU355.

Bernama reported that he said Umno was ready to work with PAS to amend the act, even though the parties were unable to compromise on other matters.

Annuar has since drawn flak from social media users, as well as criticism from BN leaders in Sabah and Sarawak, over his remarks.

On Tuesday, during a dialogue attended by Umno members and supporters in Penang, Annuar had hinted that PAS and Umno would forge “stronger cooperation” as the 14th general election drew nearer as both parties “shared the same DNA” and had the same objective in their struggles, and that there was common ground on which they could meet.

Saifuddin said Umno should stop telling people that it was “okay” with PAS, when 50 members of the Islamist party in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, had crossed over to Umno last week.

He was referring to reports that the 50 members from Tendong, citing disappointment in PAS, had submitted membership application forms to state Umno chief Mustapha Mohamed on Friday.

“Where is the sincerity (in working together) when there are PAS members joining Umno en masse?” Saifuddin said.

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the people should think carefully about whether to support PAS, which was becoming more similar to Umno, or Pakatan Harapan.

“It is up to the people to decide between PAS, which is becoming more like Umno every day, or a genuine opposition that is an alternative to BN,” he told reporters in Penang when asked to comment on Annuar’s remarks.

Lim, who is also PH deputy president and chief minister, said based on Annuar’s remarks, it might be true that the Malay and Islamist parties had some understanding between them.

He noted that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had not been attacking Umno, instead becoming “hostile” towards his former allies in the opposition.

“PAS is not attacking corruption, but is questioning and being hostile towards opposition parties, and even non-Muslims.”

Citing reports that Umno has been invited to the 19th Communist Party of China national congress on October 18, with its representative given the honour of addressing the congress, Lim said in the past, he would have expected Hadi to criticise Umno over the matter.

“But, it is DAP that PAS supporters have labelled as ‘communist’ when we have no ties to a communist party. They even claim that my father, Kit Siang, is Chin Peng’s cousin,” he said, referring to the late communist guerilla leader who died in exile in Thailand four years ago. – October 9, 2017.