PAS central committee member Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz has disagreed with party deputy president Mohamad Sabu's urging to party clerics to reform and upgrade themselves.

The son of PAS spiritual leader likened the call to asking the Islamic party to "remove its shirt" in order to appear attractive.

Speaking to Malaysiakini yesterday, Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, said the clerics must reinvent themselves to keep the ulama council relevant and not allow Muslims to become bored with the rhetoric on Islam.

Describing this as "wrong", Nik Abduh ( right ), however, said it would be better for PAS to "cleanse" itself instead.

"There are calls for PAS to progress forward. The statement (by Mat Sabu) in my view is as if asking PAS to remove its shirt.

"If we want to look attractive there is no need to remove the shirt but just wash it.

"Hence, I feel that it is not right. But I do not want to comment further as I respect the deputy president's statement," he told reporters when met in Pengkalan Kubor, Kelantan, last night.

Meanwhile, Nik Abduh admitted that the Islamic party is facing an internal crisis but is confident that it would be resolved.

"Yes, PAS is in crisis now. But we will handle it within the party," he added.

Quizzed on his Facebook posting criticising the two Selangor assemblypersons who pledged support to PKR as “traitors”, Nik Abduh said his view reflected the stand of the majority leaders in  PAS.

Nik Abduh said that his father also agreed.