KUALA SELANGOR, June 4 — The question whether PAS should remain in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was again a recurring theme with its influential clergy wing this year, despite secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali’s attempt at downplaying it.

In its 61st muktamar, or annual congress yesterday, the Ulama wing had made several not-so-subtle hints that it wishes for the tahaluf siyasi (political consensus) between PAS and its PR allies be revised, or even repealed.

“Even Rasulullah (Prophet Muhammad) has rejected a tahaluf ,” said PAS spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din while launching the muktamar.

“Cooperating with non-Muslims, either alone or many, sometimes is allowed, sometimes is not allowed.

“Sometimes it was allowed before, but not afterwards. Its allowance is not absolute, not forever.”

Both Haron and the wing’s chief Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamad had pointed out that the decision to join PR was conditional, with the latter claiming that DAP’s opposition to its Islamic policies can revoke the pact.

“This provocative action by DAP can cancel the tahaluf siyasi, which is the political cooperation between an Islamic party and the socialist party,” said Mahfodz during his keynote address.

Several delegates have echoed Mahfodz’s call while debating his keynote address, including a delegate from Penang, where he claimed PAS has been sidelined by the DAP-led state government.

“I am confident that the whole country is waiting for a discussion on tahaluf siyasi, especially in states that we govern… As if this tahaluf must be revised, there is a need to revalue what has been implemented,” said the delegate Mohd Hanif Harun.

Most candidates, including Hanif, had pointed to DAP’s opposition towards the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, and its leaders’ criticisms towards party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

This culminated in an emergency motion tabled by the wing, to urge its decision-making Syura Council to sever the party’s ties with DAP despite remaining in the PR federal opposition pact.

“DAP has specifically attacked our president… They are also trying to meddle in our party elections, it was as if they broke into our house and tried to replace our own father,” accused Pahang Ulama chief Mokhtar Senik, who proposed the motion.

The motion was unanimously passed, and is expected to be tabled in the party’s main muktamar which starts today in Kuala Selangor.

PR was an informal coalition comprising PAS, DAP and PKR formed to contest the 2008 general elections, where it succeeded in denying ruling coalition Barisan Nasional the two-thirds majority.

Previously, PAS had entered the Barisan Alternatif in 2004, which comprised of PAS, DAP, Keadilan and Parti Rakyat Malaysia, before the latter two merged to form PKR.