The party’s information chief, Kamarudin Md Nor said he believed the former prime minister was speaking in general terms.

“When it comes to politics we cannot be overly sensitive. PAS should not be so touchy.

“Bear in mind that not all registered political parties have said they would join PH,” he told FMT.

Kamarudin said the “dedak” statement should be viewed more as advice as Mahathir wanted to see the current administration toppled.

He was responding to PAS vice-president Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah who had warned Mahathir to stop attacking the Islamist party if PPBM wished to work with them.

Earlier this month Mahathir, who is PPBM’s chairman, insinuated that PAS had received “dedak” (a euphemism often used to describe bribes) since the party had refused to join the opposition coalition.

The elder statesman, however, did not name which party in particular he was referring to when he said this at the PH convention recently.

PAS has not agreed as yet to an electoral alliance with DAP, PKR, and Amanah against Barisan Nasional.

Asked about the state of relations between PPBM and PAS, Kamarudin said it was getting better and they had, in fact, jointly organised events at the grassroots level.

PAS representatives, he explained, had attended events organised by PPBM and vice versa, while stressing that it had not been done for show.

“There is nothing that will affect our cooperation with PAS.”