PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar told DAP today to be "careful" with its statements on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang being absent from Pakatan Rakyat council meetings.

Mahfuz said there should be no "pressure" on the Islamic party.

"I hope my DAP friends are careful with their statements. They shouldn't be pressuring and all that," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

PAS had never asked DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng ( left ) to attend meetings, Mahfuz said, even though Lim had skipped a few.

"(Hadi) has his own health excuses. How to attend when his health is not good?" he asked.

"We don't demand that Guan Eng comes for the meetings," he added.

Mahfuz said DAP's recent statements have not been "careful" and urged the party to "give attention to the matter".

Hadi absent from many major meetings

DAP, in recent days, has been consistently urging Hadi to attend the Pakatan leadership council meetings.

Its previous urging came two days ago in the form of a unanimous resolution from the party’s central executive committee (CEC), and was announced yesterday.

Hadi has been absent from many major Pakatan meetings since the Selangor menteri besar crisis started.

He had been mostly represented by deputy president Mohammad Sabu and secretary-general Mustafa Ali.

DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke had said that this hampers decision-making at the council meetings, because Hadi’s lieutenants cannot make decision on PAS’ behalf, unlike DAP representatives who would have the mandate to do so for its party if DAP leaders are absent.

Meanwhile, PAS central committee member Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said DAP’s repeated calls on Hadi to attend meetings gave the impression that there is an ulterior motive.

"Everybody is aware of this issue about attending meetings, there must be a reason for being absent.

"So when there is continued pressure, I think there is an ulterior motive," the Pasir Mas MP was quoted as saying.