The United States should review "whatever positive perceptions" it has of PAS following a demonstration by the party outside the US embassy last Friday, said Gerakan vice-president Dr S Vijayaratnam.

He said that previously the US was sympathetic to PAS' cause of struggle in domestic politics.

However, the US should now "know its friends" following the demonstration at its embassy last week which saw an estimated crowd of 2,500 Muslims, mostly PAS members, chanting anti-US slogans, he added.

"Please look at who burns the American flag now, and who has been moderate and supportive of the US, even to the extent of volunteering cooperation to assist in the apprehension of terrorists responsible for the Sept 11 calamity," he said in a statement.

The demonstration last Friday saw the handing over of a memorandum by PAS president Fadzil Noor to the US embassy demanding a halt to the military strikes in Afghanistan and to abandon any intention to attack other nations under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

Police sprayed chemical-laced water at the crowd twice when they refused to disperse and insisted on conducting a special prayer by the roadside. Opposition leaders later accused the police of targeting their members as it was a peaceful gathering.

Dubious reputation

Vijayaratnam who is Gerakan international affairs bureau chief defended the police's actions and said PAS' decision to hold "provocative and intimidating demonstrations" in front of the US embassy should be condemned.

"There is no necessity to organise a huge crowd just to hand over a memorandum," he said.

"Besides sending a wrong message to the world that we are a nation of fundamental extremists which could destroy investors' confidence and the tourism industry, it precipitated traffic-jams and caused uneasiness to the general public," he added.

He also pointed out that PAS' call on its members to fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan was in direct contravention with Malaysia's foreign policy.

"Malaysia recognises the Northern Alliance as the legitimate government of Afghanistan who are in fact battling to oust the Taliban," he said.

He said PAS should remain neutral and stay away from the internal affairs of Afghanistan which is "complicated and involving many factions".

He added PAS could make itself useful by concentrating more on humanitarian relief to the war victims instead of "bringing a dubious reputation to Malaysia" as the foreigners are unable to distinguish PAS Malaysians from those "moderate ones" here.

Jihad calls

Last week, PAS, the biggest opposition party which consists of some 800,000 members, called for a jihad to help the Afghans who are now under the US strikes.

The Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has turned down US' repeated demand for the extradition of Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had previously criticised PAS for using jihad as a pitch for votes and stressed that the government will not tolerate with rising militancy in the country, believed to be linked to the Muslim party.

Last week, police arrested six people who were alleged to have been involved in the Malaysian Mujahidin Group (KMM) under the Internal Security Act. Prior to that, late last month, nine alleged KMM members, mostly from PAS, were placed under a two-year detention order.