Muslim unity in the country will be strengthened if the opposition PAS rejoins the Barisan Nasional (BN), said an Umno supreme council member.

According to a Bernama report, Rural Development Minister Azmi Khalid has urged the PAS leadership to make a wise decision to counter the various political, economical and western threats that weaken Muslim unity.

"Many Islamic countries were unable to do anything when the US invaded Iraq with its military might," he told reporters after launching the Lipis Umno delegates meeting in Pahang today.

Azmi said o­nly a strong united Muslim community can help other Muslim nations to enhance their skills and economy.

He stressed the BN government needed political stability to implement its social development programmes.

Earlier in his speech, Azmi said all Umno members should strive to win the coming general election.

"The cooperation among Umno members is key to the party's strength and the BN, and the government will continue to carry out development programmes to eradicate poverty," he said.

The ministry has allocated RM300,000 to the Kuala Lipis Community Development Department (Kemas) for a new office block and another RM4 million to build a 25-km stretch of road from Pos Betau to Kampung Lenjang for the Orang Asli villages, the report said.