PAS seeks way out of crisis

PAS seeks way out of crisis

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's fundamentalist Parti Islam
(PAS) has offered to form a coalition government in Kelantan
state with Premier Mahathir Mohamad's ruling party as the Islamic
party comes under pressure there to quit.

Acknowledging that the state is in political crisis, Kelantan
chief minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat, said his party was willing if
Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) was
sincere. But the move would be made on PAS' terms, he insisted at
the weekend.

"I will be very happy if we can realize this idea through
certain ways because the matter is very sensitive," the New
Sunday Times quoted Nik Aziz as saying in the northeastern
Malaysian state.

Reacting to the offer, Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
said yesterday that UMNO would respond to the idea "only after
detailed discussions."