KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — The furore over Lim Guan Eng’s name being mentioned in Friday sermons and now the visit of a DAP MP to a surau is a reflection of deeper PAS-DAP ties that has made Umno uncomfortable ahead of the next general elections, say analysts and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians.

PAS has stoutly defended both incidents and point out that only Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia and state news agency Bernama are championing the issues but not by others on the ground.

“Umno is afraid of deeper PAS-DAP ties so the only way is to wreck it where possible,” Harakahdaily website editor Zulkifli Sulong told The Malaysian Insider.

He pointed out that PAS leaders see nothing wrong with the twin issues, adding even PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat has backed the outreach to non-Muslims.

“There is nothing wrong except in the eyes of Umno and Utusan,” said the editor of the PAS news portal.

Klang MP Charles Santiago agreed with Zulkifli’s assessment of the issue that began at the onset of the Ramadan fasting month.

“The uproar in the Umno-owned press are calculated moves to drive a wedge between DAP, PAS and the Malay community,” Santiago said..

The DAP MP described the issue as “high level bigotry” and said Umno was concern by the party’s growing acceptance by PAS and the Malay community.

His sentiments were echoed by Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua who pointed out that DAP was working well not only with PAS but PKR.

He added Umno was wary because DAP has been breaking down the perception it was a Chinese chauvinist party concern with only Chinese or Indian issues.

“Umno is clearly worried,” said Pua.

A senior DAP leader noted that both PAS and DAP grassroots leaders are closer to each other than even their respective national leaderships.

“Both sides see each other and work together more than the national leaders do. Umno can’t take this kind of deep cooperation so they have to sabotage it just as they use their media to bring up divisive issues like hudud,” he said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of PAS-DAP cooperation.

He also lamented that Utusan Malaysia continued to vilify DAP as disrespectful to Islam and the Malays, saying this was race-baiting and showed Umno was not in line with its president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent assertion of “zero tolerance” for racism.

“Utusan’s news is just a shrill cry of racism and a poor reflection of Umno,” the leader said.

Political writer Karim Raslan wrote in The Star recently that restrictions and double standards in the local media have boomeranged on Barisan Nasional (BN).

“The continuing restrictions on the Malaysian media have proven to be a disaster for the Barisan. On the other hand, certain conservative papers appear to have been given a free hand to engage in race-baiting.

“These double-standards have not boosted public sentiment, but rob the government of a very effective method of understanding what is happening on the ground,” he wrote in a recent column headlined “Change is the ineluctable fact”.

PAS Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said the move by Umno to demonise Guan Eng (picture) and Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching is going to backfire on them.

He said both issues underscores Umno’s attempt to be the champions of Malays and Muslims while painting PR as being disrespectful to Islam.

“Politically they want Malays and Islam to be one in the same so they can remain in power.”

But in doing so, Khalid said Umno has committed the “biggest crime” by tarnishing Islam as an intolerant and unfriendly religion.

While Umno has kicked up a fuss over both issues, Khalid’s islamic party had come out to defend the Chinese politicians.

Umno Wanita Chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today described Teo conduct as insulting and unbecoming while lashing out at DAP.

But Khalid said he could see no wrong.

He pointed out that Islam encourages prayers and supplications for non-Muslims to embrace Islam and for non-muslims to enter mosques.

“Umno is interpreting Islam based on their universe and mindset.”

He added that Teo was invited by the local community to enter the surau.

“What did she do which was so disrespectful? It may have been more disrespectful for her to decline the invitation,” said Khalid.

PAS youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Al-Tantawi also said there was nothing wrong with non-Muslims speaking at mosques or suraus, provided they were properly attired and got permission from the administrators.

He questioned the move by the media to politicise Teo’s visit to the Al-Huda Surau in Kajang, last Sunday.

He said while it may be strange for some in this country, it was common for non-Muslims to enter mosques even in Arab countries.

This view was shared by PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar, who also said yesterday that Teo did not do anything wrong.

Teo had expressed dismay that her visit  has been turned into a controversy and blamed Umno and Utusan Malaysia.

She pointed out yesterday that the Umno-owned paper never verified their facts with her before publishing the article.

They instead relied on a pro-Umno blog which made baseless allegations that she had given money to PAS members during a Ceramah at the surau.

Following the article the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) announced that they would send a warning letter to Teo.

Mais chairman Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa also said they had taken over the management of the surau.

He also reportedly said that the incident had raised the ire of Selangor Ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Teo has yet to received the warning letter from Mais.