PAS information chief Dr Harun Din is also known by such tags as ulama (religious scholar) and ustaz (religious teacher). The ones that rankle are air jampi (charmed-water) seller and bomoh (witch doctor).

He has heard both terms being used to dismiss his foray into opposition politics under the banner of PAS by no less an adversary than Umno president and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

However, Harun said he has learnt to handle the ridicule with equanimity, having borne the brunt of such attacks many times.

"I was attacked long before I held any post in PAS, not just by ordinary people but also by the prime minister when he heard I would be standing against him (in the Kubang Pasu parliamentary constituency in the 1999 general election)," he said, when asked to comment.

"In politics, we have to be ready to be attacked and to attack. I am ready for that. But I will not attack anyone without strong basis, and I will only challenge their ideals.

"If you attend my ceramah (political talk), you will find that it is rare for me to mention the names of politicians whose ideals I challenge. It is not my style to be personal."

Lead northern campaign

Harun, who has been a PAS member since 1974, will lead the party's election campaign in Kedah and Perlis at the next general election, due by November next year.

Although, the party has yet to decide where he will stand as a candidate, supporters already believe that PAS will gain from the strategy because of Harun's widespread popularity.

PAS is pinning hope that Harun would be able to fill in the shoes vacated by the late party leader, Fadzil Noor, who was from Kedah, to lead the campaign in seizing the two key frontline states to add to the other two northern states which it already controls - Kelantan and Terengganu.

Harun will be a formidable candidate to lead the party's charge up north to oust the ruling Umno in both Kedah and Perlis.

The Muslim-based party currently holds 12 out of 36 state seats in Kedah, while in Perlis, the party has three out of 15 state seats.

Harun has also laid to rest the ghost of Election 99, when he withdrew as a candidate at the last minute due health and other personal reasons.

Saying that the problems had since been settled - he had a heart surgery in Australia - Harun, who hailed from Perlis, gave the assurance that he will stay the distance this time around.

An exorcist

At a press conference yesterday, Harun said he has been involved in spiritual healing for 30 years, and that many show respect by calling him 'Dr Harun' or 'Prof Harun' (in deference to his credentials as a retired academician).

Revealing a sense of humour, he quipped: "I have never been invited to the national bomoh convention, so it confirms that even bomohs don't consider me as one of their own!"

He said he does not like being associated with the label because a bomoh's activities are frequently linked to the recitation of magic spells and dispensing of jampi (charms, usually to overcome bad luck or to find romantic love).

"These are not based on the Quran and are therefore unIslamic. I heal my patients in the context of Quranic science in relation to the verses in the Holy Book, on the causes of illness and the cure," he explained.

"This is in line with the teachings of Islam as Prophet Muhammad himself healed people by the recitation of certain Quranic verses. I also use Quranic verses to treat patients whose illness are caused by makhluk halus (invisible beings) like genies and devils."

Harun therefore dismissed Mahathir's jibe that he makes a living by selling air jampi , noting that the services offered by him and his assistants at the Darul Syifa clinic in Bangi, Selangor, requires no payment.

"In fact, there have been instances when we have had to use our own money to take patients back home," he said.

Harun said he usually sees about 300 patients on Tuesdays, when he is at the clinic. However, up to 700 patients may show up when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday, often waiting from as early as 4am.

"All sorts of people come by - corporate figures, people from the kampung (villages), non-Muslims, and even foreigners from as far as Germany and Saudi Arabia," he said.

He has also been called on by government officials to exorcise haunted buildings

Blueprint drawn up

Asked how he would tackle his party post, Harun said this would be done no differently from his duties as a religious scholar, which also require him to disseminate information.

"But this time, we are looking at a new scope and approach in disseminating information, in the hope of dispelling any misunderstanding on the party and its policies," he said.

"I have prepared a blueprint which needs the consent of the Dewan Harian (supreme council) members before I can release it to the press."

He is confident that PAS will be able to play a strong role in governing the country as it has been consistent in its cause and has referred to the Quran and Hadith (Prophet's Traditions) for guidance.

"PAS is unlike Umno, which rides on crises. Look at its history... it was formed because of the crisis in the Malayan Union. After (the country's) Independence, it became stale until the May 13, 1969 tragedy, when it championed Malay unity," he claimed.

"Things were even worse during the Anwar (Ibrahim) crisis. People are aware of Umno's disrespect for democracy - look at its no-contest policy (in the party) and its style of administration which has clamped down on public assemblies, ceramah and the press."

Now that Mahathir is resigning (on Oct 31), he noted, the lesson to learn is that "everything has its end... what goes up, must come down".

"Umno, to my mind, is at its lowest point. That's why PAS is now ready to take over," he added on an irrepressible note.