PAS President Fadzil Mohd Noor's condition is believed to be critical and he remains unconscious, three days after undergoing a coronary by-pass surgery at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) in Kuala Lumpur.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited the 65-year-old Opposition Leader who is in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit this afternoon.

"When I was visiting him, he was sleeping. I saw him only for a short while," Abdullah told reporters later.

However, he refused to comment on Fadzil's condition. "I am not a medical doctor, so I had better refrain from talking about it," he said.

The deputy premier also expressed hope that the PAS leader recovers soon.

Critical

Meanwhile, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Zainal Abidin Zin who accompanied Abdullah told reporters that Fadzil's condition was "critical".

When contacted, a HUKM spokesperson told malaysiakini that the hospital will issue a statement on the politician's condition soon.

Fadzil underwent a five-hour surgery on Monday and it is believed that his health deteriorated due to stress during PAS's recent three-day annual general assembly.

The PAS leader who is a graduate of Egypt's Al-Azhar university has been the party's president since 1989.

His duties have been taken over by his deputy Abdul Hadi Awang who is also Terengganu Menteri Besar.