PAS' announcement yesterday that it has completed a 'white paper' on the party's concept of an Islamic state saw its coalition partners, Keadilan and PRM, having conflicting stands over the matter.

PRM today pledged its support to PAS and urged the party to raise the issue at the next Parliament sitting. *[correction]

PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said although he has not seen the 'white paper', PAS can count on his party's support.

"We will support PAS' concept of an Islamic state which is based on the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (Sunnah)", he said when contacted.

Syed Husin also called on PAS to organise public forums, if parliament refuses to discuss the issue.

"This is an important issue that needs to be addressed carefully so that the public would understand the difference between PAS' model of an Islamic state and Umno's," he said.

According to the PRM leader, the party is willing to help PAS organise road shows to explain its Islamic state concept to the public.

'White paper'

Yesterday, PAS secretary-general Nashruddin Mat Isa was quoted in the New Straits Times as saying that the party has completed a 'white paper' on the matter.

Nashruddin said a committee, chaired by party president Fadzil Noor and comprised of party leaders, professionals and academicians, was responsible for the draft.

Last week, malaysiakini reported that the blueprint was ready, though it was yet to be decided whether the draft would be delivered to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who had issued the challenge for PAS to put its Islamic state concept on paper

The party wants the blueprint to be discussed in Parliament and shown live on television.

An anonymous official said the blueprint was prepared in accordance with Prophet Muhammad's 'Treaty of Madinah', which guarantees religious freedom and assures that non-Muslims would not become second-class citizens.

"Our Islamic concept is enforceable in Malaysia without having to amend the constitution," said the official who was also involved in drawing up the blueprint.

Self-centred

Meanwhile, Keadilan leaders said the party will not participate in any activities to promote PAS' Islamic state concept.

A leader who declined to be named said Keadilan would continue upholding its own principles and would not be influenced by other ideologies, including that of PAS.

"If PAS wants to have an Islamic state, they will not have our support."

Another Keadilan leader criticised PAS for being a self-centred party which does not care about other people's needs.

"While we (Keadilan) are in the middle of serious discussion to find possible ways to persuade DAP to come back into Barisan Alternatif, PAS is not making any effort at all to strengthen the coalition," said the leader who also declined to be named.

DAP quit the BA in September citing 'irreconcilable differences' with PAS over the latter's ambition of turning Malaysia into an Islamic state.

* Editor's note: PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali has pointed out that he has been misrepresented in this report and denies ever making the statements attributed to him. The malaysiakini team apologises to Syed Husin the gross misreporting. We have, over the past two years, strived to ensure that our reports are accurate and meet the highest standards in journalism. We take such a breach of professional conduct very seriously. The journalist concerned has resigned.