IPOH: Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang assured restive party members yesterday that it would not abandon the Islamic struggle, and would seek feedback from them before making any decisions on major issues.

He signalled that PAS would stay loyal to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition while indirectly rebuffing overtures from Umno by saying it would not save a party or government that was 'riddled with disease'.

Seats in 5 states SOME of the tensions in the Pakatan Rakyat states occur because PAS wants to be consulted on issues in Selangor, Perak and Penang states, where it often feels left out. The other two partners had not put much emphasis on this because PAS has the fewest seats in these states. ... more

His speech at the official opening of PAS' annual meeting was aimed at pacifying members amid internal tensions over the direction of the 800,000-strong Islamic party.

In a setback for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat, PAS Youth leaders had warned on Thursday that the party would leave the opposition coalition if Islamic interests were sidelined.

A number who spoke at the youth wing's annual assembly had also asked members to be wary of Anwar, as he seemed bent on brushing aside PAS' push for Islamic law in Malaysia, to get support from non-Muslims in his bid to become prime minister.

Datuk Abdul Hadi said in his speech: 'Remember that upholding our beloved Islam is more important than anything else.'

He said that in making major decisions, the leaders would ensure that 'policies are based on Islamic law' and that a special meeting involving members could be held to get their consent.

To calm members who had said that putting Islam first was in the party's Constitution, he read out parts of the Constitution that referred to the fact that the 57-year-old party wanted to set up a Malaysian society based on 'Islamic values and laws'.

His affirmation of the party's Islamic struggle was greeted with exclamations of 'Allahuakbar' (God is great) from party members among the 5,000-strong audience.

Others who attended included foreign diplomats and representatives from foreign Islamic organisations.

Anwar and his wife, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail, attended for the first time the opening of a PAS annual meeting. They were given front-row seats on the stage, alongside PAS chiefs, at the Ipoh indoor stadium.

This seemed to be a clear signal that the party's top leaders accepted him despite criticisms hurled at him by the party's youth wing.

The PAS president did not mention Anwar by name in his hour-long speech. But it was clear that the party leadership wanted to work more closely with the de facto opposition chief and Pakatan.

In his speech, Mr Abdul Hadi said the five states now ruled by Pakatan should work more closely by making joint investment promotions and forming a council of their chief ministers.

The other two members of Pakatan are Anwar's multiracial Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the Chinese-led Democratic Action Party (DAP).

Today, PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat is expected to accompany Anwar as he officially submits his nomination paper to contest a by-election in Penang. This is yet another show of support for the former deputy premier.

The powerful PAS council of clerics on Thursday nominated Mr Abdul Hadi to become the prime minister should Pakatan take over the government by Sept16, as Anwar has predicted.

But observers see the clerics' move as a lobbying tactic because the feeling in PAS is that it has often been sidelined by the other two Pakatan partners.

Mr Abdul Hadi is a conservative Islamic cleric and is not likely to be accepted by many PKR and DAP leaders as the next prime minister.

When asked by reporters if PAS would endorse Anwar as the next prime minister, Mr Abdul Hadi said only that the party would give the politician its support in the by-election.

'The opposition alliance has no chief. We work through collective leadership,' he added.

Pressed further on the issue, he said: 'Let him contest first. God willing, he will win. When he wins and there is a change (of government), then we will discuss. We will see who has got majority support.'

reme@sph.com.sg