Opposition party PAS is unfazed about the governments plan to initiate legal action against its leaders who were alleged to have labelled other Muslims as infidels.

The partys secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa said any legal action against PAS or its leaders must be backed by strong evidence.

What insult? What slander? Can they list all of them down? queried Nasharuddin.

But if the government wants to take legal action, it may as well sue those who insult the Prophet Muhammad, he added.

The PAS leader was responding to Umno supreme council member Ali Rustams comment in Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today that the time has come for the government to sue PAS leaders who frequently insult and slander other Muslims.

Ali, who is Melaka menteri besar, said the countrys Islamic enactments provided for Muslims who disparage others to be tried in court.

Action must be taken, stressed Ali, or PAS would think it is not bound by any law in the country.

[I]f this can be done it can prohibit bad behaviour in politics, said Ali.

He was echoing Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamads statement about suing those who insult other Muslims by calling them infidels.

Mahathir had urged Malaysians to support the call and advised Muslims not to be influenced by the oppositions tactics.

The premier also lambasted the partys leaders for their hostile approach to other Muslims by labelling them as barua (stooge), firaun (Pharaoh), mahazalim (greatly cruel) and infidels.

Secret

Meanwhile, in an unrelated matter, Nasharuddin criticised an alleged ex-member of PAS Dewan Ulama (council of religious scholars) for calling on PAS member of Parliament for Baling, Taib Azzamudden, to expose a big secret that purportedly can unite Malay Malaysians.

He was responding to todays Utusan Malaysia which reported former council member Mohd Noor Deris as making that call.

Nasharuddin however denied that Mohd Noor was ever a member of the council, but nevertheless urged him to state which secret Taib was supposed to expose as no hint nor details were given.

A secret which is known to others is not a secret at all, Nasharuddin countered.

Mohd Noors statement came after Information Ministry parliament secretary Zainuddin Maidin was reported on Saturday as saying that Taib, a former imam (religious preacher), harboured a secret while he was head of the National Mosque.

The secret, which Taib purportedly kept for several years, if exposed, is said to be able to prevent further slander against Mahathir.