Utusan Malaysia continued its attack on Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, with its report today saying the Kelantan menteri besar has declared that no one can replace him as the PAS spiritual adviser.

The Umno-owned daily quotes sources as saying that Nik Aziz had said that while there were several candidates who could replace him as Kelantan MB, none could take his place in the influential post of spiritual adviser.

Utusan said Nik Aziz had said this after the 2008 general election before his umrah trip.

"In Nik Aziz's speech at the function, he said no one from within the party can replace him as mursyidul am (PAS spiritual adviser)," Utusan said, quoting a source.

NONE Nik Aziz has been staunchly defending his party's co-operation with DAP within Pakatan Rakyat when several former PAS vice-presidents Hasan Ali ( right ) and Nakhaie Ahmad questioned the PAS-DAP ties.

The daily also carried an editorial page comment by Zulkiflee Bakar that compared Nik Aziz's leadership with that his predecessor Yusof Rawa, and also asked whether it was party president Abdul Hadi Awang or the Kelantan MB who controlled PAS.

It also made a comparison of the late Yusof and another late former president, Fadzil Noor.

Nakhaie is quoted in the editorial as citing contrasting features between Yusof and Nik Aziz, saying Yusof was seen more as an adviser in the syura council and that he did this within close doors and not through the media.

'PAS has two captains'

This resulted in Yusof being a respected leader in PAS and the writer goes on to credit the late PAS spiritual adviser as strengthening the Islamist party as a political party through the leadership of the ulama.

The comment piece says the situation changed when Hadi became president, with Nik Aziz seen to be more vocal, resulting in many questioning who had the real power in the party. This created a situation with PAS having two captains, Zulkiflee writes.

Utusan Malaysia also reported former Kedah PAS deputy commissioner Muslim Othman as urging DAP to learn more about Islamic laws. This follows the DAP questioning the imposition of guidelines by the Alor Star City Council on the attires of men and women on outdoor billboards.

Meanwhile, Sinar Harian reported national laureate Shahnon Ahmad, who is a PAS life member, as saying he was committed to the party despite his stinging comments on the PAS-DAP cooperation.

The daily quoted PAS mouthpiece Harakah Daily as saying that Shahnon remains committed to the the ulama leadership.