Some Umno leaders believe that establishing a ulama (Islamic scholars) wing will help the party shore up its religious credentials.

According to Sinar Harian today, Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the formation of the wing would end accusations that the party had "sidelined Islam".

He side that while Umno has never sidelined religious scholars, having such a wing would make the public more confident with the party and allowed direct comparison with PAS.

PAS was originates from a ulama faction within Umno who formed a splinter group back in pre-Independence Malaya, but the two party have been at loggerheads since the early 1950s.

Echoing Ahmad Zahid, Umno supreme council members Mutapa Mohamed and Shahidan Kassim said the ulama are important to Umno’s cause.

Shahidan said this will be brought to the attention of Umno president Najib Abdul Razak during the party’s supreme council meeting.

The idea to set an " ulama council" was mooted by Umno's Young Ulama secretariat chair Fathul Bari Mat Yahya after a debate with PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan last week.

Fathul Bari had said that he will propose the idea to the party's top leadership.