Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today warned about possible violence by opposition supporters in key states contested by PAS for the upcoming polls on March 21.

"Unfortunately I have heard that there may be some people who plan to take advantage of the large police presence to create trouble and entice police to take action against them," Abdullah told reporters after lodging his nomination papers in his homestate Penang.

"If this happens they are likely to spread news that police committed atrocities and killed some people in the course of doing their job. We have to be prepared to deal with anything," he was quoted as saying in an AFP report.

Abdullah had been asked whether he feared the election campaign in three northern states - Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah - could turn ugly as PAS competes against the ruling Barisan Nasional.

PAS already controls the first two states and is hoping its fundamentalist appeal will help it win Kedah in the forthcoming elections.

Nothing to fear

Abdullah said his message to voters was that "there is nothing to fear, the police will ensure security. "I hope the polls will be conducted in a peaceful way and there will be no trouble or riots."

PAS presents the main challenge to Abdullah's Umno, which is the linchpin of the ruling coalition, and Abdullah told the news conference that "Islam is a major issue" in the election.

But he said candidates should not "hurt the feelings of other races nor question their rights."

Abdullah dismissed PAS' attacks on his religious credentials, saying: "I don't want to waste time rebutting PAS personal attacks on me. I believe the people will be able to make a decision on their own."

Door smashed

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that nomination in the Kuala Kedah parliamentary constituency and its state seats was marred when a glass door at the Muda Agriculture Development Authority Dewan Datuk Syed Nahar was smashed.

In the 9.15am incident said to be caused by members of the opposition, the glass door was smashed while three opposition candidates and their officers were standing outside.

They had reportedly been barred from entering the nomination hall while Menteri Besar Syed Razak Syed Zain was handing in his nomination papers to defend his Kubang Rotan state seat.

The opposition state candidates were PAS' Amiruddin Hamzah (Anak Bukit incumbent), PAS' Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi (Pengkalan Kundur incumbent) and Syed Razak's challenger, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Kuala Kedah incumbent parliamentarian Mohamad Sabu only sent a representative as he instead went to Alor Star to hand in his nomination for the Alor Mengkudu state seat.