Islamic opposition party PAS today announced plans to make Islamic Syariah law supreme in Terengganu in a move that could come as early as April.

The chief minister of Terengganu, Abdul Hadi Awang, said the state constitution would be amended to "project the supreme law in Islam", the official Bernama news agency reported.

An official spokesperson for the chief minister confirmed the content of the report to AFP .

Syariah law includes amputation of hands or feet for some criminal offences, a punishment which is not implemented in multicultural Malaysia.

The spokespeson, who is close to the chief minister but requested anonymity, said that although the government claimed to be Islamic, existing Syariah laws were "too simplified and very light".

"What we've been arguing all this time is that the government's version of Islamic law is shallow and not complete," he told AFP .

"We want to upgrade and implement a more complete Islamic law in Terengganu."

One step ahead

The state was won by PAS in 1999 elections, making it only the second of 13 states to be controlled by the opposition.

The other PAS-controlled state, Kelantan, also has plans to introduce Syariah laws including amputations for thieves, but Abdul Hadi said Terengganu was one step ahead.

He said changes to the constitution would be enacted when the state assembly convened on April 11.

Asked whether the move would be in conflict with the country's federal constitution, Abdul Hadi said this should be considered at the federal level and he was prepared for discussions once the laws were passed.

"The people will assess the earnestness of (Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's ruling coalition) in wanting to implement Islamic Law and we are open on this idea of a muzakarah (meeting) with the federal government," he said.

PAS aims to establish theocratic rule in Malaysia and scorns Mahathir's declaration last year that the country is already an "Islamic state".

Instant state and noodles

The chief minister of the other PAS-ruled state, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is also the party's spiritual adviser, said at the weekend that the declaration made Malaysia an "instant Islamic state just like instant noodles".

Malaysia's Islamic nature has become an increasingly important issue in domestic politics since the apparently Islamic-inspired attacks on the United States on Sept 11.

Mahathir's government has played upon fears of Islamic militancy in a country where Muslims are in the majority but Chinese Buddhists, Christians and Indian Hindus make up significant minorities.

Analysts say the fallout from Sept 11 has worked in favour of the veteran Southeast Asian leader, with an opposition alliance falling apart when DAP pulled out over the Islamic state issue within weeks of the attacks.

PAS had made strong inroads on Mahathir's 20-year-old support in the last elections in 1999, but a state by-election in January saw his ruling coalition returned with an increased majority.