A cornered PAS today threatened Home Affairs Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with legal action if his ministry's ban on public speeches and ceramah (public talks) is not lifted within 14 days from today.

"Our lawyers have been asked to request from Abdullah a retraction of the ban on gatherings in public places 14 days from today and if the minister fails to do so we will take legal action to obtain the pertinent order from the courts," said PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Mat Isa in a statement this morning.

"PAS believes that any order given by Abdullah should not indiscriminately violate the rights of the people to expression and peaceful assembly that is guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution," he added.

Earlier this month, police thwarted a PAS assembly in Baling, Kedah and another one last Sunday. The opposition party was planning another gathering in Kampung Iboi also in Kedah but canceled it on the advice of the police.

Allegations of PAS supporters burning police trucks and being unruly during their assemblies with 31 arrests so far had prompted Abdullah, who is also deputy premier, to announce last Tuesday that police should act more aggressively to curb such assemblies.

The police have implemented a blanket ban on public assemblies in July last year stating that it would not longer be issuing permits for such gatherings.

'Undemocratic, illogical'

"PAS believes that Abdullah understands that under the Police Act, any party that wishes to hold an assembly at any public place must obtain a permit from the district police chief and he in turns uses his discretion to issue permits without undue influence from anybody especially the executive.

"As long as the Police Act exists, PAS believes that Abdullah has no power under the law to prohibit assemblies and speeches in public places and any such restriction is a contravention of the law, is unconstitutional, undemocratic, illogical and an abuse of power,' Nasharudin said in his statement.

When contacted by malaysiakini , he reiterated that PAS would continue with its programmes of organising political assemblies.

This view mirrored the one by PAS deputy president Abdul Hadi Awang who announced yesterday that all PAS programmes would continue.

Nasharudin also said the government was wrong in recently airing the Memali incident over the state-controlled RTM television stations.

"It is illogical when Abdullah through the police violates the right to freedom of expression and assembly and at the same time shamelessly abuses government machinery like RTM to throw baseless allegations and slander onto PAS by re-broadcasting the Memali incident," Nasharudin said.

Possible RTM suit

The government earlier this month broadcasted the 1985 Kampung Memali incident involving a violent stand-off between Muslim dissidents and government security forces. Four policemen and 14 villagers died in the clash while a total of 29 were injured and 160 others, including children, were arrested.

A local religious teacher, Ibrahim Libya, who was shot dead by police, was accused of inciting his followers to riot. He was also alleged to be close to PAS.

Asked by malaysiakini if the party was planing to go ahead with a legal suit against RTM over the Memali clip, Nasharudin said the matter was being looked into.

"We are still studying the matter and if our lawyers decide there is a definite case then we will proceed," Nasharudin said without specifying a deadline.

On Saturday, PAS said it may sue the information ministry and RTM for airing the clip.