(AFP) The head of PAS told its clerics today to help forge a new political image and work with non-Muslim parties in a bid to win power at the next election.

Party president Fadzil Noor, opening a three-day annual assembly, said support for PAS and its allies in the Barisan Alternative (BA) alliance had now increased significantly.

The PAS "ulama" (clerics) must understand the complex relationship in the BA and manage an influx of new PAS members and their varied expectations, Fadzil said.

"We must forge ahead a new image for the party... a PAS image as an Islamic party that is fundamentalist in abiding to its principles, contemporary in its management and futuristic in preparing for future challenges," he told the ethnic Malay party.

PAS is the key party in the alliance, along with Keadilan which is led by the wife of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the small Malaysian People's Party (PRM).

Many ethnic Malays turned to the opposition in the 1999 general election following Anwar's sacking and jailing. PAS more than tripled its parliamentary seats to 27, won control of Terengganu state and retained neighbouring Kelantan.

But the multiracial Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled since independence in 1957, retained its two-thirds parliamentary majority.

Opposition parties accused it of running a "fear and scare" campaign to persuade Chinese voters that a vote for the opposition alliance was a vote for PAS and thus a threat to their community's customs.

Non-Malay support

The DAP has expressed unease about some moves to promote an Islamic lifestyle in the two PAS-controlled states.

Fadzil denounced "dirty accusations" by the ruling coalition that PAS was intolerant of other religions and cultures.

"We must say in no unclear terms that PAS practises tolerance towards religions and cultures of other races in this country and what we do in Kelantan and Terengganu should serve as living proof," he said.

PAS accepted the "political reality" that it must win support from non-Muslims and non-Malays, he said.

"It is with this realisation that our political struggle must be conducted."

Fadzil lashed out at Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying the detention without trial of 10 opposition supporters in April was a sign of his "dictatorial tendency".

Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly was now "a bonus and a privilege" instead of a constitutional right.

Fadzil said Mahathir's party and its allies had derailed an affirmative action program for ethnic Malays "into one that only created a handful of big-headed cronies".

Prime candidate

Government efforts to counter the economic downturn were unsuccessful due to "massive bailout of cronies", wasteful mega-projects and the privatisation policy being abused to enrich cronies, he said.

To ensure election victory, he said PAS would mobilise wider support from non-governmental organisations, trade unions, women and teenagers.

Women were more prominent in this year's assembly, with women leaders sitting alongside the men on the stage for the first time and more female delegates.

Fadzil told reporters it was "not impossible" for the BA to win the next election, which must be called by 2004.

"If we work hard, there is nothing we cannot do...if we step up our efforts, we can win," he said.

Anwar, who is serving a 15-year jail term for abuse of power and sodomy, is still the BA's candidate for premiership, he added.