(AFP) special report

For a state that is supposed to be under the thumb of rigid Islamic fundamentalists, Kelantan can be a pretty relaxed place - if you know where to go, and if you are not Muslim.

On a recent weekday night in this sleepy state capital, a middle-aged Chinese woman crooned a popular Mandarin song in a dimly-lit karaoke bar where beer flowed freely despite a ban on alcohol and public singing.

Elsewhere in town, elderly Chinese men whiled away the time playing mahjong for money in underground dens, despite a gambling ban, while youngsters were hanging out at noisy pubs.

Behind the veil of Islamic fundemantalism in this rural northeastern state, which has been ruled by the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) since 1990, is a different face.

PAS, which is gaining support among the Malay majority and aims to seize power at the national level, is constantly reassuring the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities that it practises a tolerant brand of Islam.

Under the counter

Southeast Asia's largest sitting Buddha statue was inaugurated Sept 9, pork is sold openly at a local market and beer is available at most Chinese restaurants and under the counter at hotels.

"It doesn't matter who's in power as long as we can do business here. They don't really bother us," said Jenny Chin, owner of the only karaoke bar in downtown Kota Baru.

Her karaoke bar, innocously named "Moon Cafe," operates without a permit but is popular among local Chinese and out-of-town visitors seeking some entertainment.

A signboard is hung at the entry with the reminder: "Alcohol is forbidden in Islam," and Chin said she dared not accept Muslim clients.

"It's better not to serve them lest we offend the authorities," she said.

For more than a decade, the state has been run along heavily religious lines but the Islamic rule appears to be skin-deep.

Discos have been closed but the McDonald signboard now bears Arabic Jawi wording and the infamous Passionate Love Beach has been renamed the Moon Light Beach.

Supermarkets set up separate counters for men and women to stop flirting between unmarried people but nobody in Kota Baru really cares.

Most Muslim women wear headscarves and forego lipstick but shun orders to cloak their bodies.

Poor advertisement

PAS, which also took over neighbouring Terengganu state and increased its parliamentary seats dramatically in the 1999 general election, aims to establish an Islamic state in Malaysia if it can replace Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's ruling coalition.

But its plan for strict criminal laws prescribing extreme penalties, such as amputation for thieves and stoning to death for adulterers, arouses fears of Islamic extremism in many Malaysians and even neighbouring Singapore.

PAS touts Kelantan as an example of Islamic rule where other minority races enjoy freedom of religion and culture.

But if the past 11 years is anything to go by, Kelantan - Malaysia's most backward state - is a poor advertisement for the party's credentials to govern.

"There is no development under PAS... many tourists come and go but there is very little investment here," said a trishaw driver, a Malay man in his sixties.

"I am not happy because I cannot drink beer or buy lottery like I used to. I am going to retire but there is no freedom to enjoy life."

But taxi driver Mustapha Mat, 50, feels differently.

"What we have is enough. We do not need big projects which are wasteful because they use taxpayer's money. Life is slow but the cost of living is low and people feel safe here," he said.

Outlook changing

Outlooks are changing as Kelantanese watch television and embrace western influences.

Teletubbies soft toys, Ultraman-shaped balloons and Mickey Mouse watches are sold at a marketplace run mainly by local women. Internet cafes enjoys good business but signs remind patrons not to surf pornographic websites.

A state government official told AFP : "We don't need mega projects but we move according to the people's needs."

He said the PAS-led state has in the past been hamstrung by Mahathir's government, which discourages foreigners from investing there, and now focuses on tourism projects to boost its revenue.

Going by the hundreds of villagers attending nightly "ceramahs," or teachings, where PAS leaders stand at pulpits to preach religion and politics, the party remains a force to reckon with.

Its supporters believe a victory in the next general election, which must be called by 2004, is possible. While this may be too soon, observers concede more of the country's 13 states could fall the next time around.