Dr Syed Alwi's remark that PAS has failed to address economic issues is in stark contrast with reality and evidence available in Kelantan and Terengganu, the two states it is administering.

When PAS captured Kelantan in 1990, the number of hardcore poor in the state stood at 25,000. The official figure for last two years was below 7,000 people. This was despite the prediction that Kelantan would go bankrupt within three months after PAS took over the state from BN.

The number of tourists coming to Kelantan has almost doubled compared to when BN was in charge This happened despite BN's propaganda that people going to Kelantan would have their hands, or even head, chopped off.

Official figures from the Statistics Department show that more people have migrated into Kelantan and Terengganu, against those who have left. This happened despite media reports that ghost towns are being created in these states.

When PAS took over Terengganu in 1999, there were approximately 70,000 land applications pending a decision, with some applicants having waited more than 15 years.

More than 50,000 of the applications have since been cleared, despite BN's accusations that PAS leaders are only busy holding ceramah without doing any productive work to administer the state.

The performance of companies owned by the state government is equally impressive. TDM Berhad, for example, accumulated losses when it was run by BN cronies. Its bottom line changed from red to black the first year PAS took over and it continues to do well.

Under BN the Terengganu government had received oil royalty for more than 20 years, amounting to RM7 billion. The state was still the second poorest state in Malaysia during that period.

When PAS took over, the royalty was unilaterally stopped, but economically Terengganu has improved one notch to become the third poorest state.

Sadly, some people are made to believe that PAS leaders are just some hungry tigers wearing the mullah's turban. Something must be very wrong with our media.