Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said today the party will not waste its time investigating claims that some of its members are looking to rejoin PAS.

"I can reassure all that today there are more PAS members who want to join Amanah. That is why there is the term 'harum manis' (green-skinned mango but with ripe orange pulp).

"This is what the PAS secretary-general should be looking at," Salahuddin said in response to PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hasan, who claimed yesterday that he had evidence of such moves.

Takiyuddin was reported as saying he would not reveal the names of Amanah members involved and it was up to the leaders of the PAS splinter party to investigate his claims.

Salahuddin noted that PAS had recently issued warnings against its members from attending Amanah events.

"Maybe, after this, even to have coffee with us (Amanah) would be grounds for (disciplinary) action to be taken," he quipped, adding that this showed the real sentiments within the Islamic party.

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad pointed out that there should be no issue of switching parties in a democratic system, such as in Malaysia.

'We respect individual rights'

"Even if such claims are true, there should be no problem (for Amanah members to rejoin PAS).

"This is a democratic country and we respect individual rights (to join any party). We hope that PAS also shares the same stand. Let members decide (which party to join), based on their own conviction," Khalid said.

The Shah Alam MP also insisted that Amanah is open to any decision of its members to leave the party, even if they wished to rejoin PAS.

"There is no need to bind them with allegations of betrayal or breaking an oath (bai'ah). Let them decide based on their own conviction," he stressed.

During the early days of Amanah's formation last year, several of its current leaders were threatened with the 'ba'iah taklik' that they had taken as PAS candidates during the 13th general election.

Under the highly criticised oath, the leaders had supposedly agreed to divorce their wives should they decide to quit PAS and join another party.