PAS may take legal action against an English daily over its report today which claimed the party told its coalition partner DAP to go 'fly a kite' after the latter challenged its decision to set up an Islamic state.

Party secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa told malaysiakini the report had damaged PAS' reputation and that he has instructed the party's lawyers to look into the matter.

"We shall seek legal advice and see what we can do," he said, adding, "I don't know who made this statement."

The Sun in its frontpage report entitled 'Collision course', had stated that PAS and its Barisan Alternatif (BA) coalition partner DAP are at a crossroads over the former's decision to set up an Islamic state should it come into power.

The report further stated that DAP had threatened to pull out of the coalition if PAS refused to change its stance but PAS leaders are calling the DAP's 'bluff' and told them to 'go fly a kite'.

However, Nasharuddin denied that PAS and DAP have clashed over the issue. "All component partners have been talking about the issue. We do not have an Islamic state yet. Why all the fuss?" he lamented.

"This is an issue that is currently being played up by the media to further damage cooperation in the BA," claimed Nasharuddin.

Meanwhile, PAS central working committee member Dr Mohd Hatta Mohd Ramli, when contacted in Manchester, England, said, "Differences of opinion are normal in BA but I don't think our leaders have gone so far as to tell the DAP to 'go fly a kite'."

Hatta, PAS president Fadzil Noor, youth leader Mahfuz Omar and CWC member Dr Lo' Lo' Mohd Ghazali have gone to England for a tour of universities.

'Last hope'

DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock also refuted the 'go fly a kite' statement, saying that discussions with PAS leaders had always been cordial and that the party had not made any decision to pull out of the coalition.

However, Kerk did not deny that DAP is opposing the setting up of an Islamic state and that the matter had the potential to lead to calamitous consequences for the BA.

"While we are committed to the BA vehicle of seeking justice, democracy and freedom, we also view the setting up of an Islamic state as a fundamental issue which needs to be resolved," he said.

"This issue can indeed derail the whole BA objective and can be an electoral catastrophe not only for DAP but for the BA as a whole," he added.

"For DAP, this could be a life or death situation as we are perceived to be the last bastion of hope against the setting up of an Islamic state," he said.

Kerk also denied that the issue is creating a rift in the DAP leadership.