PAS MUKTAMAR | Contrary to calls from its members, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today said the party will not demand to lead in any new cooperation with Umno and other allies.

Instead, Abdul Hadi said PAS remains firm to its general principle that Islam must lead regardless of any party.

"We say in general that Islam must lead. Not necessarily from Umno, not necessarily from PAS.

"It could be a third party who is accepted by all that becomes the leader. That can happen in politics," Abdul Hadi told a press conference after his policy speech at the launch of the 65th PAS muktamar in Kuantan.

"Politics is flexible, that we must understand," he said.

A delegate at the 60th PAS Youth muktamar yesterday stressed that the party must be a leader in its alliances that were forged in the name of Malay-Muslim unity.

Kedah PAS Youth delegate Nasrun Othman said PAS should learn lessons from the party's past alliances, and now move to take the lead of its partners, including Umno and other BN component parties.

As part of PAS preparations to face GE15, Abdul Hadi urged the party machinery to strengthen its position through actively recruiting members, increasing its influence and establishing control of the media.

At the same time, he said extra focus must be given to external engagements with PAS target group of supporters, including fence-sitters.

He also cautioned members to abide by the leaders' decisions on political cooperation, seat distributions and candidates' selection.

In the first muktamar held post-GE14, top Umno leaders were at the front row of today's launch held at the Sukpa stadium in Bandar Indera Mahkota.

Umno president Mohamad Hasan graced the main stage alongside MIC president S Vigneswaran.

Also present were leaders of PAS Gagasan Sejahtera ally Berjasa, BN-friendly parties IPF, Kimma and Parti Cinta Malaysia.

Notably absent were leaders from MCA.

Reporting by Alyaa Alhadjri, Al-Abror Mohd Yusof, N Faizal Ghazali, M Fakhrull Halim and Lu Wei Hoong.