Those who appreciate the Islamic struggle will not make DAP their masters, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said today.

"Those who feel the sweetness of the (Islamic) faith in their struggle will be able to differentiate between friend and master.

"(They) can befriend those from DAP, but they cannot make DAP their master, as it will be without faith, and ungentlemanly.

"Those who do not understand or feel the sweetness of this are willing to live and die with those from DAP as they cannot differentiate between friend and master," Hadi said in a statement today.

He appeared to be referring to the group of PAS progressive leaders who have formed Gerakan Harapan Baru (New Hope Movement), a precursor to a new Islamic political party.

The PAS progressives were ousted from the party leadership early last month by the conservative faction and is upset that PAS is becoming more right-wing.

The group plans to eventually form a new party to replace PAS in a new opposition coalition to challenge BN's hold on power in the next general election.

However, Hadi said those who appreciated the Islamic struggle would not mind if what they sought to achieve did not materialise in their lifetime, as long as they remained consistent in their struggle.

He also took a swipe at the PAS progressives for planning to set up a new party, adding that even those punished by Prophet Muhammad had not turned on their leader, but remained loyal.