PAS today said that single men and women will be banned from sitting together during a rare public concert in Kelantan in a bid to prevent indecent behaviour.

"From our observation, it is during and after such concerts teenagers will hug and embrace each other. For us this is un-Islamic," Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) state executive councillor, Takiyuddin Hassan, told AFP .

During its 15-year rule of the state, PAS has introduced a series of religious decrees dictating public behaviour.

A 1995 dress code demanded female Muslims working in public places cover their bodies except their hands and faces, while mini-skirts or revealing dresses were banned for non-Muslim women.

Takiyuddin said the state had a responsibility to prevent any incident that could jeopardise the safety of the women who attend the open air concert on Friday and Saturday in the state capital Kota Bharu.

"I am a lawyer and in the courts I come across a lot of rape cases. It is better not to be sorry later," he said.

Takiyuddin said enforcement officials would ensure the order was implemented, and expressed confidence that the public would support the move.

"I think the people in Kelantan favour such a move. A lot of people will turn up for the concert, especially young women," he said.

Those who are escorted by their parents would be able to sit together, he added.

PAS split over Mawi

There has also been controversy over choice of Malaysia's latest singing sensation Asmawi Ani, popularly known as Mawi - who shot to fame on Malaysian reality-TV talent show Akademi Fantastia - as the main performer at the concert.

Asmawi's involvement met with disapproval by a prominent PAS religious leader who said he was not pious enough, but the party opted to go ahead with the concert plans in an attempt to appeal to the state's youth.

PAS aims to turn multicultural Malaysia into a theocratic state under Islamic rule. Its other religious decrees include a ban on unisex hairdressing salons, and a drive to discourage Muslim women from wearing lipstick.

The party was thumped in last year's general elections and lost power in the neighbouring state of Terengganu, although it managed to keep its hold on Kelantan with a slim majority.