PAS acting president Abdul Hadi Awang said today that the party had the constitutional right to have separate manifestos.

Responding to criticism from its rivals, he said the constitution conferred this right to the federal and state governments.

He added that this was not the first time that PAS had done this and it was not a "bizarre" approach.

"It only feels bizarre because the federal and state elections are held simultaneously," he said in a press statement.

PAS was accused of sacrificing its primary struggle by agreeing to the opposition Barisan Alternatif manifesto which did not espouse an Islamic state.

The Muslim-based opposition party had constantly championed the formation of an Islamic state and this is contained in the manifesto for Kelantan and Terengganu - the states which it controls.

"PAS was entrusted to rule two states with its manifesto with a promise towards establishing a fair and democratic Islamic state," said Hadi, who is also the parliamentary opposition leader.

He added that this is what the people in the two states wanted and it became a reality when PAS won in the elections.

Doublespeak

Its detractors also accused PAS of doublespeak, telling "one thing to the Muslims and another to non-Muslims".

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that it was trying to trick the people while his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dismissed it as 'political gimmickry'.

Joining in the fray today was DAP, who also criticised its former ally over its contradictory stand.

Party leader Lim Kit Siang said it was not uncommon for political parties to have two manifestos for the federal and state levels when the elections for both are held simultaneously.

"What is uncommon, controversial and highly objectionable, however, is for a political party to have two contradictory manifestos, as suggested by PAS, one for Islamic state at state level in its own name and the other silent on Islamic state at the national level...," he said.

DAP was formerly a member of the opposition front but it withdrew in September 2001 after its leaders crossed swords with PAS over the Islamic state issue.

Common manifesto

Meanwhile, Hadi said the BA manifesto for the coming general elections would be similar in principle to the one in 1999 which called for the formation of a democratic state, justice and protection of basic rights.

He added that PAS shared the same aspirations and these include the eradication of corruption, revocation of unjust laws and the fair distribution of wealth regardless of race, religion or political ideologies.

The PAS leader said the decision to use a common BA manifesto in other states was reached after taking into account the political atmosphere and voters demography.