KOTA BHARU, Oct 17 — PKR deputy president Azmin Ali will likely set tongues wagging tonight when he takes the stage at PAS’s “Himpunan Fastaqim-H60k” gathering that has already drawn a massive crowd to Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV here.

Since noon, crowds of supporters have been pouring into the stadium in the state capital, gearing up for the mass gathering that PAS expects will be attended by at least 60,000.

Food stalls and other vendors selling PAS merchandise are already doing a roaring trade in and around the compound of the stadium. Some vendors are selling religious books and other items, while the other more unusual activities include snake petting and a super bike show by PAS members.

A tentative schedule of the day’s events indicates that Azmin, as the Selangor mentri besar, will join PAS’s top leadership for the gathering, which is seen as the Islamist party’s bid to rally its supporters following the recent shake-up in the federal opposition.

The PAS leaders to speak tonight include Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakob, PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Dr Haron Din, and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. Former Umno minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir is also expected to take the stage later.

Azmin has been consistent in his position that PAS should be included in the newly-formed Pakatan Harapan, believing that it was still necessary for all the opposition forces to stand united against Barisan Nasional (BN).

PKR’s national leadership has also urged all opposition parties to put aside their differences and to work towards forming a strong, viable federal coalition before the 14th general election due to be called by 2018.

This, however, has not gone down well with some in the DAP, whose fallout with PAS earlier this year over key ideological issues like the Islamist party’s push for hudud in Kelantan was what led to the break-up of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact.

The pact has since been replaced with Pakatan Harapan, which was formed last month among PKR, DAP and PAS splinter Parti Amanah Rakyat (Amanah).

Despite the overtures from PKR, however, PAS has so far snubbed the offer to join Pakatan Harapan.

Several days ago, the party forged a working relationship with Malay right wing group Perkasa on several national issues, a move that DAP leaders were quick to criticise.

These and other leadership issues, including a fractious June polls that led to Amanah’s formation from among PAS’s progressive faction, has led to today’s rally, which analysts say is the Islamist party’s way of regrouping and rejuvenating.

The rally will also likely serve as a platform for PAS to reassert its identity as a Malay-Muslim party and to remind its supporters that it is prepared to go into the next general election alone, and that it will no longer make any compromises on issues related to Islam such as hudud.