Recent letters by Wan Saiful Wan Jan ('Together we stand, divided we fall', Aug 3) and Silent Majority ('Shape up, DAP - or ship out', Aug 3) have hit the nail on the head regarding the unseemly feud between PAS and DAP over the former's plans to set up an Islamic state if the opposition comes into power.

The opposition parties must start thinking outside the box - a box that has been created by the Barisan Nasional.

They have to start thinking like a government-in-waiting rather than just reacting as pawns in the BN chess game.

I'm sure there are many people who, like me, think it is now no longer a question of whether the BN will lose power, but a question of when and how.

PAS and its predecessor, PMIP, have never, in their half-century of existence, pretended to be anything but a party that wants to see an Islamic system of government in this country.

In the kind of democracy that oppositionists want to see in Malaysia, they have every right to be that way and to champion their ideology.

But that does not mean those who disagree with them should abandon the very notion of working with them.

It is very naive on the DAP's part to insist that the very idea of an Islamic state is a non-starter. After all, more than 50 percent of this country's people are Muslim.

Naturally, all non-Muslims will oppose the idea of a Muslim state.

In the end, the ballot box will decide whether Malaysia remains a secular democracy or becomes something else.

I for one cannot foresee a majority of Malaysians - Malays included - deciding to abandon our secular system for an Islamic state.

But that's putting the cart before the horse. The DAP and PAS would be better off letting this issue lay down to rest and instead devote their energies towards the higher goal of freeing Malaysia from its current shackles.

("We have decided to put this issue on the backburner as there are presently more important issues to tackle" would be a good joint statement.)

Why not do something more inspirational to encourage supporters?

For instance, component parties of the Barisan Alternatif should set up a shadow cabinet. Appoint 'ministers' drawn from the member-parties for various portfolios.

Let these shadow ministers be in charge of commenting on their portfolios. In fact, take it a step further - appoint non-Malays to handle Malay issues and vice versa.

And 'appoint' Anwar Ibrahim the shadow prime minister.

The setting up of a government-in-waiting would give concrete, material shape to the notion of the BA winning power, and show that the coalition is looking at 'when' it will win power rather than 'if' it will do so.