PAS has been told to continue with efforts to shed its confrontational image and intensify its engagement with society.

Speaking at the party's 52nd annual muktamar (general meeting) in Kedah, Kelantan delegate Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah said PAS would gain more support from the people and society at large if it continues to adopt such a stand.

Citing an example, he said PAS previous decision to cooperate and work with he Election Commission (EC) has resulted in the commission taking action on some PAS suggestions.

According to Abdul Rahim, the EC has accepted the party's recommendation to do away with the serial numbers on the electoral ballots and counterfoil in order to ensure votes are secret.

He also cited the EC's acceptance of PAS' proposal to register and pay opposition workers as assistant registration officers.

"Increase discussions, decrease the tensions. Decrease the talk, more with the walk. Don't speak about boycotting the elections, lessen the angry rhetoric with the authorities," he told the more than 1,000 delegates attending the three-day event in his debate on the president's policy speech.

Although party leaders and members had long called for such an approach in the party's relations with the ruling government, organisations and the public, there were also calls for more consistency and intensification.

"Preaching the truth and engaging in truthful politics, is what our engagement with society is all about," party president Abdul Hadi Awang said in his speech yesterday.

Face new challenges

The party's scholars (ulama), youth and women's wings, in particular, were urged to intensify such efforts.

"The ulama has to enter the field of ijtihad (deductive reasoning) into those issues and situations to which there are no explicit references (in the Qur'an and Hadith) in a way that is approved of by the sacred laws," he said.

He added that such efforts have to be done together with professionals in the party "so that new challenges can be faced more effectively."

It was also needed in order to address the misconceptions and false accusations against the party, said Abdul Hadi.

On the youth and women's wings, Abdul Hadi commended their activism over the past year, but urged them to work even harder to improve the people's welfare.

"We need to multiply our efforts to improve their welfare, because that is where we are directly 'engaged' in society and in the lives of the people. The substance of our struggle gives meaning, service, and benefit to society," he said.

"The importance of Muslimat has become more important in recent times as in various aspects, the attacks of our enemies and of Islam can only be dealt with effectively by the women," he added.