PARLIAMENT Umno lawmaker Annuar Musa has invited PAS to join BN after mocking Pakatan Rakyat for "bullying" the Islamic party.

"We may have our differences but we can never be divorced... come sit with BN," said the Ketereh MP while debating the budget speech this afternoon.

Annuar highlighted Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz's (PAS-Pasir Mas) remark in a Facebook posting last month where he accused PKR and DAP of bullying PAS.

Zooming in on DAP's move to suspend PAS' local councillor Iszuree Ibrahim from the Penang Island Municipal Council after he likened the Penang government's policies to BN, Annuar ( left ) said even the ruling coalition did not bully PAS as such.

He went on to sing praises of PAS as fellow BN MPs slammed their tables in support.

"PKR and DAP's strength is not because of themselves, but it comes from PAS.

"PAS will never disappear because they are 'istiqamah' (steadfast) in their struggle, those that will disappear are the others (PKR and DAP)" he said in reference to the party's recent muktamar theme.

'We will not take the bait'

Khalid Samad (PAS-Shah Alam, right ), who appeared amused at the praise from an arch-rival, thanked Annuar for the kind words.

"It seems that Ketereh is trying to bait us.... but I apologise to Ketereh because we are not going to take the bait.

"We all know Pakatan won 52 percent of the popular vote in the last general election," he said.

However, Annuar argued that a large part of the support came from the Chinese community due to "racial sentiments" played up by the opposition.

"Shah Alam is a Malay and Muslim (majority constituency), he (Khalid) should know where the 52 percent came from.

"In the last general election, due to racial sentiments being played up, BN lost votes from our Chinese friends, but we accept it with an open heart," he said.

Annuar added that BN had won 13 general elections in a row and would continue to do so despite Pakatan winning the popular vote.

Related stories

Rafizi fires back - calls Najib a bigger bully

Umno and PAS, non-Malay have rights, too

'Syura council has no power to curb PasMa'