The 58th PAS Muktamar which kicks off on Friday promises to be an interesting affair given the string of recent issues involving the party and given that the 13th general election is around the corner.

Most recently, the party's hardline stance on Islam has been put to the test after Nurul Izzah Anwar, the vice-president of PAS' ally PKR, broached on the prickly subject of whether freedom of religion extends to all Malaysians.

The party had also been mostly patient in the face of relentless attacks by MCA, who claims that PAS' Islamic state agenda would ruin the country.

NONE Two of PAS' prominent warlords - Nasharuddin Mat Isa ( right ) and Hasan Ali - have also been busy attacking the party's Islamic leadership, claiming that the party's ties with secularist PKR and DAP were going against the party's principles.

Moreover, states like PAS-ruled Kedah have also come under increasing public scrutiny due to criticism over its financial management as in the latest Auditor General's Report.

Even with the mounting pressure on their Islamic credentials, PAS leaders appear unwavering in their commitment towards Pakatan.

But within the walls of the Pusat Tarbiyah Islamiyah Kelantan, Pengkelan Chepa, this weekend, delegates are likely to be less constrained in airing views from the grassroots.

'Delegates will speak their mind'

A PAS-linked political analyst, who declined to be named due to his ties with top party officials, predicted that these issues are likely to be raised by delegates because of PAS' open nature.

"During the muktamar, everything will be discussed. If not during the debates, it would be done during the speeches. They can even table an emergency motion.

"(The delegates) cannot be controlled. They will say what they deem necessary ... (Drowning out certain issues) does not arise," the analyst told Malaysiakini .

The analyst said that many thorny issues that need to be addressed boil down to PAS' position in Pakatan but it would be particularly interesting to see if Nashruddin and Hasan still hold sway among the delegates.

"To see if Nasharuddin still has influence, one would have to see if the delegates who are speaking have his 'tone'. If there's a lot of this, it means delegates still support him.

NONE "If the opposite happens, then Nasharuddin and Hasan ( left ) is no more. This muktamar will assess their level of support."

Nasharuddin, who was voted out as the PAS deputy president last year, and Hasan, who was sacked from PAS early this year, are often seen to be driving a wedge between the party and the secularist DAP.

Leaders: Stay focussed

Two prominent party leaders are however of the opinion that the debates should concentrate on election preparations and not be sidetracked by fringe players.

Vice-president Mahfuz Omar told Malaysiakini that although he expects those who take the rostrum to be riled up by BN's nonchalance towards MCA's anti-hudud law rhetoric, delegates should see it in the correct light.

"I'm sure it will be a major agenda during the muktamar in order to give a clear signal to the Malay community that they should reject BN," he said.

Another vice-president Salahudin Ayub expects delegates to use the muktamar as a platform to discuss and explain issues raised by MCA to reassure non-Malay voters.

He also expects delegates to use the opportunity to further refine the party's welfare state policy to the masses.

"We won't be trapped with issues raised by MCA. But what might happen is more explanation to the Chinese community about why Islam is good, about PAS' policies and the welfare state," he said.

Getting into fifth gear

Veteran PAS observer and chair of the national PAS supporters wing Hu Pang Chow believes that delegates are unlikely to be sidetracked because he believes that the delegates are mature.

"The party members don't bother (with Nasharuddin and Hasan). I don't think they will even mention their names ... He (Nasharuddin) should attend. There won't be problems," he said.

He added that the Chinese community in Malaysia is generally apathetic of MCA's anti-hudud stance and added that it was probably beneficial to PAS.

NONE Mahfuz ( left ) expects delegates to reaffirm their commitment towards Pakatan in order to put the coalition and the grassroots in "fifth gear" in their push towards Putrajaya.

"I see this mood (among the grassroots). Previously, we made a commitment to work together (in Pakatan). Now, we want to reaffirm it in order ensure that the public remain confident with the party leadership," he said.

PAS Youth wing's two-day muktamar kicks off today while the women's wing one-day meeting will be held the tomorrow.

The main body meeting will last for three days, concluding on Sunday.

Additional reporting by Lee Long Hui and Lu Wei Hoong.