As former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has opposed the leadership of his predecessor Najib Razak, he might be persuaded to lobby for the release of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

PAS former vice-president Husam Musa said he will advise the long serving former PM on the matter.

"I am on good terms with (Mahathir)... He is good, fighting Najib, that's good. And we pray that he will also support the release of Anwar from prison," the PAS veteran told the audience at a dinner organised by Kelantan Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) in Petaling Jaya last night.

"Later I will go and advise him," he said, smiling, possibly mimicking his party's latest role as adviser to Umno .

He said this as an aside while recounting the time when Mahathir expelled PAS from BN in the 1970s.

Husam said at the time, DAP, which last year became PAS' prime enemy, had historically stood by the Islamic party's side.

"Lim Kit Siang is always consistent, and when Parliament debated until 3.30am (at the time), who defended PAS? Among them were Lim," he said.

"Why is it when we quarrel now, we forget the good that DAP has done (towards PAS)? We cannot. This is a fact.

"Umno was the one who had ' terajang ' (stripped naked) PAS up to 3am and at the time, when (then PAS president) Asri Muda wanted to speak Mahathir did not allow it," said Husam.

PAS' conservative ulama faction turned against DAP during the party muktamar last year, and used the party's progressives' good relations with the Pakatan partner as ammunition to wipe them clean from the party's top leadership.

The results of the muktamar set the stage for the exit of the progressives to form Amanah and the break up of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

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