Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself had previously suggested for the de-registration of religious-based political parties, claimed PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu.

"Dr Mahathir had suggested that political parties using the name of religion be de-registered because he was worried of increasing PAS support when he was prime minister,” said Mohamad.

“So to me, there is no difference with the statement that was made by (DAP chairman) Karpal (Singh) and the proposal made by Mahathir as well as other UMNO leaders,” he told Astro AWANI when asked to comment on Karpal’s recent statement urging for the de-registration of all political and professional bodies which operate along racial and religious lines, saying that the move would work in the interest of unity.

Mohamad said that during Mahathir’s time, PAS protested the move to remove ‘Islam’ from PAS by having a huge gathering in Sungai Petani.

“PAS met the Malay kings to defend the name of Islam but UMNO supported the government’s attempt to throw away the name of Islam from political parties such as PAS,” he said.

Elaborating on Karpal’s statement, Mohamad said that he would seek further explanation from the Bukit Gelugor MP and DAP leader as he was afraid his words were spun by the media.

Meanwhile, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said that he had clarified with Karpal and the latter, he said, did not call for the deregistration of PAS.

Claiming that there were people trying to wreak the unity of Pakatan Rakyat, Lim urged for a ‘de-escalation’ and end to racial and religious rhetoric, in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia policy and ‘Global Movement of Moderates’ campaign.

“I spoke to Karpal and he made it clear that he did not call for the deregistration of PAS.

On Tuesday, Karpal reportedly said race and religious-based parties, including PAS, were impractical and dangerous. The DAP leader had said such parties should either be deregistered or opened to everyone.
"This applies to all parties, including PAS, unfortunately," he was quoted saying.

Karpal’s statement was made in relation to the Muslim Lawyers' Association (MLA) for threatening the Bar Council over its alleged support for Catholic weekly The Herald over the ‘Allah’ issue.

Karpal had called for the association, which he claimed represented only "a handful of troublemakers", to be de-registered.

In January, former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik called for an introduction of a law to prohibit the use of the word “Islam” by political parties.