UMNO is still open to cooperation with PAS despite being openly snubbed by the Islamist party recently, said a senior Umno leader.

However, Umno information chief Annuar Musa said the final decision on any compact with PAS would come from Umno president Najib Razak.

“(The door) is very much open, in terms of having electoral cooperation with PAS. We have given the full mandate to the president,” Annuar told reporters after a Puteri Umno dialogue session
in Kuala Lumpur last night.

“So we will wait for his decision,” said the Kelantan Umno leader and Ketereh MP.

Annuar’s comments follow PAS’ decision to form a third political coalition called Gagasan Sejahtera Rakyat which will contest in the general election under its own banner.

PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan has announced that the coalition will contest up to 100 parliamentary seats in the next general election with a view towards taking over Putrajaya.

The Islamist party’s stance means it will contest against the Umno-led Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan coalitions.

PAS’ decision came after months of overtures from Umno keen on cooperation between the two parties on matters of common interest, including the general election.

“We accept the reality and we are ready to cooperate in things we feel can bring about good but whatever form that takes will be left up to the president.

“Let the president negotiate it and bring it back for the endorsement of the supreme council. But the supreme council gives him the full mandate.”

Annuar added that any form of electoral cooperation would have to be thoroughly worked out to bridge the political divide of decades between the parties.

“There has to be a bit of time to mentally condition ourselves as the idea may look strange right now.

“It has to go through the proper process as it is not a marriage of convenience like DAP and PPBM,” Annuar said referring to the alliance of Chinese-majority DAP and the Bumiputera-centric Bersatu, both of whom are in PH.

Annuar claimed that many Malay Muslims would support an Umno-PAS pact.

He said Umno was still willing to work with the Islamist party  on the latter’s private member’s bill colloquially known as “RUU355” to enhance punishments for shariah offences.

“We are ready to sit down with them and discuss this. It’s not like we can just jump into it straightaway. It must go through a process and they have to understand that Umno is a component of BN.”

Umno had initially said it would take over the tabling of RUU355 and make the bill a government initiative.

But it was forced to abandon the plan after severe backlash from BN component parties.

As result, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang went ahead and tabled RUU355 as a private member’s bill, which has not progressed beyond the tabling stage.

During his address at the dialogue, Annuar repeated the claim that DAP was pulling the strings in PH.

This is despite the presence of veteran Muslim politicians such as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

What was important for DAP, Annuar said, was that it be the hand behind the throne no matter who was in charge.

“If Nizar (former Perak menteri besar Nizar Jamaluddin) wants to be MB, it’s okay – but DAP will be in control. Same as in Selangor – Azmin Ali can be the MB but DAP will pull the strings.

“If Dr Mahathir wants to be prime minister again, go ahead – as long as DAP is really the party in charge. It does not matter who is in office, as long as they are the ones wielding the power.”

Annuar said DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was now the longest-serving head of a political party in Malaysia.

“Even in Umno, we have changed our presidents seven times. Kit Siang has been there since DAP was established in the 1960s until now. He is the longest serving dictator, longer than even Dr Mahathir.” – October 10, 2017.