The first reaction of an expectant viewer from the BBC programme Hardtalk on Sept 26 - featuring PAS vice president Mustafa Ali - was one of great puzzlement if not annoyance.

When the host Tim Sebastian asked what chance PAS had in setting up an Islamic state in Malaysia, the reaction from Mustafa Ali was: "Islamic state is not in our party constitution, it is something used by the media to frighten the people."

One would have expected Mustafa to be frank and direct before the vast international audience of Hardtalk , admitting that PAS' political aim is to set up an Islamic state in Malaysia, where syariah laws will be implemented fully, and that although the current Federal Constitution is maintained, the Quran will be the supreme law of the land.

No, Mustafa did not tell the world what PAS really stood for. He evaded the question. He pointed the finger at the media and the enemy of PAS instead - that people link PAS with the Islamic state agenda to frighten people, especially non-Muslims, in order to deny their support to PAS.

Mustafa was not lying when he claimed that the term 'Islamic state' cannot be found in PAS' party constitution. The reason being, quoting PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, that the understanding of the word 'religion' in the 'western' sense is very different from an Islamic angle.

That is why Abdul Hadi promised not to scrap the current Federal Constitution but to give a new definition to Islam according to the Quran, i.e. addeen (way of life).

And what is addeen according to PAS? Its website states that the objective of its struggle is to " memperjuangkan wujudnya di dalam negara ini sebuah masyarakat dan pemerintahan yang terlaksana di dalamnya nilai-nilai hidup Islam dan hukum- hukumnya menuju keredhaan Allah ".

And what does this mean in plain language? No one knows exactly. That is why when the former PAS president Fadzil Noor promised to present an Islamic State blueprint to the people of Malaysia, it created much anticipation.

Unfortunately, the current PAS leadership reneged on the promise, and instead claimed that it is not possible for PAS, an opposition party which has no access to governmental document, to outline a political blueprint at this stage. Thus they will give the people "general guidelines" - that is, a brief restatement of PAS' political objectives.

Is this another way of going back to a metaphysical argument?

As far as the general public is concerned, PAS is not preaching the religion of Islam here. They are advocating a political ideology based on their understanding and interpretation of their religion and this is a matter of public concern. Since PAS intends to get into the political sphere, they must learn to speak in a language understandable to the general public: Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

PAS cannot keep blaming non-Muslims for not understanding Islam enough, or Muslims for behaving like kafir when they question PAS' Islamic state objectives. It is not PAS' objectives that are disputed here, but people's citizenship rights in choosing and deciding their 'way of life' from different political ideologies.

PAS offers something very different from the political system that Malaysia currently has, thus PAS must do more homework to make the people understand what they are advocating in concrete terms - not abstract philosophising or preaching - so that the people can make informed decisions.

The conflict between PAS' Islamic state and the Federal Constitution, the definition and redefinition of 'Islam' in PAS' Islamic State, and the existence or non-existence of the term and meaning of 'Islamic state' in the PAS party constitution, may be deemed basic for those who already subscribe to PAS' struggle. But it is definitely confusing, sometimes deceiving, for the uncommitted general public.

When PAS is accused of double-talk, it may seem unfair to its leaders, but the responsibility lies with them to explain in simple and direct terms what they have in store for this country.

They should not exploit the people's ignorance and hoodwink them into either believing that PAS has given up its Islamic state objectives (to the non-Muslim population) or that PAS will set up an Islamic state (to the Muslim population).