PAS spiritual leader Haron Din's appointment as head of the Islam Consultative Council’s dakwah cluster is not an insult but an honour, said PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

He was responding to former party vice-president Husam Musa's earlier comment that it was "an insult" for the top leader in PAS to be appointed to a position under Umno president Najib Abdul Razak.

"For us, if we're asked (to sit on committees) it's not an insult, but an honour.

"It's a recognition of his (Haron’s) knowledge. This is not an insult for the party. We have to view this in a more open context," Tuan Ibrahim stressed during a press conference at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

He added that many PAS leaders have sat on various committees and boards before, and that this was not an issue.

Previously, Husam had reportedly referred to Haron's appointment as "an unusual protocol".

"This is an unusual protocol. How can someone who holds the highest position in PAS suddenly be under the Umno president," he queried.

Haron had been appointed by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the head of the dakwah cluster on Feb 11. This position would enable him to bring about suggestions to the MPI for future discussions.

The council comprises leaders from religious, academic, corporate, and NGO sectors. It serves as a think tank to help the government implement the national development agenda on an Islamic foundation.