PAS will allow non-Muslim candidates contesting on a PAS ticket to use the party symbol in the next general election, but with conditions.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the move was approved by its Ulama Council to enable those who joined the PAS wing, Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (DHPP), to contest in the general election.

"We impose conditions on non-Muslims contesting under PAS. First, they must accept PAS' policy and struggle and second, they must have high morality," he told reporters after opening PAS' 56th muktamar in Kota Bharu today.

He said this was the first time that the party was allowing non-Muslims to contest under its banner in efforts to bring the non-Muslims closer to the Islamic mission.

He said that to prevent non-Muslims who contest on a PAS ticket from switching parties, they were also required to make a loyalty pledge to the party.

PAS had its own mechanism to ensure that its assemblymen and members of Parliament did not switch parties, he added.

He also said that the move was not intended to sideline the other component parties of the opposition alliance, including the DAP and PKR, because the two parties also had non-Muslim members and leaders.

"They understand what PAS is doing. PAS' objective is to show true fairness in Islam."

He said PAS would field non-Muslim candidates in areas with non-Muslim majority and there would be no overlapping of constituencies to be contested by the component parties.

- Bernama