PAS today brushed off the defection of its MP and another prominent member to PKR, claiming that many more are joining the Islamist party.

"The number of PAS MPs has been reduced but we do not stop here. Perhaps there will be increase later.

"One left but more will join PAS," said PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan.

Takiyuddin added that no more leaders from PAS will leave the party after Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaafar and former Selangor Menteri Besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib's defection yesterday.

"Whether leaders want to leave PAS, this is the right guaranteed by the party.

"In Kamaruddin's case, we accept it as something that was decided. Although we feel sad, but this is his right to choose to join PKR.

"No more leaders will leave the party [...] PAS is now open to accept people from other parties to join PAS," he told reporters at the Kongres Rakyat rally in Selangor.

Kamaruddin is the fifth MP to leave PAS in the last month.

The other four are Dr Hatta Ramli (Kuala Krai), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam), Hanipa Maidin (Sepang) and Raja Kamaruddin Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad (Kuala Terenggau), who join the PAS splinter party Parti Amanah Negara.