PETALING JAYA - A Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) Member of Parliament linked to the progressives group has given the party a 100-day ultimatum to go back to the days when it was more inclusive or face a new Islamic party.

Mr Khalid Samad said many people did not see the new direction the party wanted to take as being promising or in line with their wishes.

"I am worried the rakyat (people) will not give the party 100 days.

"I think many people are beginning to leave PAS… or have less faith in it," he told The Star Online when contacted yesterday.

PAS has, for months, been wracked by a so-called faction war between the class of ulamas, or religious leaders, and the more moderate progressives.

The ultimatum, he said, follows PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah's request that the party's new leadership be given 100 days to prove itself.

Mr Khalid said that when PAS was under the leadership of the late Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and late Datuk Fadzil Noor, the party adopted an inclusive approach.

"There was unity in the membership... They were able to portray that the political Islam PAS is bringing, was to ensure justice irrespective of whether you are Muslim or otherwise," he said.

Mr Khalid however denied that a new party would have anything to do with Pasma, the PAS splinter group formed last year.

"We are not bothered about losing our posts. We care about the direction of the party," he said.

He was referring to this month's party elections, where the progressive group was sidelined in favour of the "ulama" faction.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK