PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has been told to verify whether he had indeed remarked that he would rather "herd Umno cows than DAP pigs".

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said if Hadi did not make the remark, "he should clear his name" by initiating legal action against the newspaper which reported the matter.

"If indeed he made the remark, it is too much, as the words are rude (kesat) against DAP and the non-Muslim community.

"Why are we (DAP) dragged into this matter when we are not planning to contest in the by-election," the Penang chief minister said at a press conference at the state legislative assembly today.

Today, The Star reported that Hadi had reportedly made the remark during an emergency meeting on the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections in his Terengganu home.

The article headlined 'Crisis in Selangor - PAS may be booted out by state govt' reported that Hadi was prepared to allow the three party executive councillors in Selangor to be expelled.

The trio were warned by Selangor government that they face the sack if the party insisted on fielding a candidate in Sungai Besar.

Azmin, who is PKR deputy president, had reportedly claimed that a PKR candidate stood a better chance in the parliamentary seat in Selangor.

Azmin had been maintaining a cordial relationship with PAS, saying that PKR had always been inclusive of parties fighting similar struggles, to the chagrin of his comrades in the DAP, which booted the Islamic party from Penang, and formed a Pakatan Harapan government.

The purported crisis may result in PAS being kicked out of the Selangor government, which will then be governed by PKR (13), DAP (15) and Parti Amanah Negara (two).

PAS has 13 seats in Selangor, Umno 12 and independents two.