PAS wants stiffer punishments for Kelantan because the party has failed to make the state a model Islamic state, an Umno leader said today.

If PAS had succeeded, Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz said, it would not need heavier punishments, such as the hudud that the Kelantan government has been pushing for.

"PAS has failed to make Kelantan an Islamic state, therefore it is seeking heavier punishments (for crime).

"When (PAS president) Abdul Hadi Awang was Terengganu menteri besar, he also wanted to change (the laws to include stiffer punishments under hudud, the Islamic penal system).

"That means PAS has failed. If they had succeeded, they would reduce six strokes (of the cane) to zero strokes," said the outspoken Umno minister.

"If PAS had succeeded, I believe everyone in the state would observe fasting (during Ramadan), there would be no need to enforce it. So they have failed in Kelantan," Nazri added.

He was speaking to the media after officiating the convocation ceremony of Aswara in Kuala Lumpur.

Nazri was replying a question about Umno and PAS' preparations for the next general election, said to be looming.

Nazri said Umno was compelled to help PAS with its hudud proposal because the latter had failed.

"Therefore Umno has had to help them, because they have failed.

"Look at Umno, we have no need to increase (punishments in our states)," said Nazri.

Seek to raise present punishment cap

As Parliament resumed this sitting, the issue of Hadi's private member's bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) to remove obstacles to the implementation of hudud in Kelantan has erupted once more.

The bill was tabled last year, after Kelantan's assembly comprising PAS and Umno assemblypersons and a single PKR assemblyperson unanimously passed the state's hudud enactment.

Hadi's amendments seek to raise the present punishment cap the syariah court can impose to 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the cane.

The present punishments allowed by federal law are a three-year jail term, RM5,000 fine and six strokes of the rotan.

Nazri said it is because of PAS' failure, heavier penalties are needed to curb wrongdoing under syariah law.

"They will not request for heavier penalties if they had succeeded. They need 100 strokes of the cane because they have failed," he added.

Nazri said other states have similar problems but they did not ask for heavier penalties.

"We just stick to what we have. Six strokes of the cane, three years and RM5,000 fine. And it is enough."

He again rejected the possibility of Umno collaborating with PAS in the next general election, reasoning that both parties are expected to contest in the same constituencies.

"For instance Padang Rengas, my parliamentary constituency. It is a traditional seat where BN face off with PAS. It is not possible to work with PAS in the general election," he said.