PAS today unanimously passed a resolution at its 54th annual meeting calling for Pakatan Rakyat to be strengthened and for the Islamic party to be given a bigger role in the opposition coalition.

pas muktamar 54th ipoh stadium opening day 150808 13 The seven-point resolution called for PAS to be the bastion of Islam in the coalition and that the religion to be emphasised and respected.

The resolution also called for Pakatan top leaders to respect the ideological struggle of the Islamist party and not raise sensitive issues which may pose problems to the coalition's cooperation.

An amendment to the resolution before it was passed also urged the PAS leadership to establish a special committee to resolve Pakatan's internal conflicts.

PAS Youth executive committee member Abdullah Abdul Karim who proposed the resolution on the final day of the assembly in Ipoh today said the party must find ways to cooperate with its Pakatan partners without compromising its Islamic principles.

"Even before we joined Pakatan, we were already aware that the DAP is holding firm to their secular policy and Malaysian-Malaysia ideology. Yet we can still work together in this coalition," he added.

Nab illegal immigrants

Weighing in on the resolution, PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat said Umno has rejected Islamic principles as a form of governance.

pas muktamar 2008 nik aziz However, Nik Aziz believed that Pakatan was a suitable platform for the Islamic party to spread religious values, including those among non-Muslims.

The second resolution that was passed urged the federal government to review existing laws and strengthen efforts to enforce rules pertaining to illegal immigrants.

The resolution also called for the removal of voting and citizenship records held by illegal immigrants.

A third resolution urging the federal government to be cautious in dealing with Singapore was also passed unanimously without having to go through a debate.

Among others, the resolution sought to recognise the opinions of two PAS leaders - Prof Dr Burhanuddin Helmy and Prof Zulkifli Mohamed - that Singapore was "akin to what Israel is to the Arabs".