Former PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa today said that he will continue to remain as a member of PAS so as to ensure the party's original struggle to champion Islam and the Malays is not diluted following the party partnering PKR and DAP in the opposition's Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Nasharuddin, whose membership in PAS' Syura Council (PAS' highest decision-making body) was revoked recently, said his status just as an ordinary member in the party was not an obstacle to continue to fight for PAS' original struggle.

"It is not true that because I am no longer in the Syura Council I cannot make my views known, even as an ordinary member I still can. I want to fight for PAS'original struggle, that is to be a champion of Islam and the Malays and that this struggle should not be diluted just because PAS is cooperating with PKR and the DAP," he told reporters at his home in Bandar Bukit Mahkota, Kajang here.

On Monday, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said Nasharuddin still remained as ordinary member of PAS although he had been sacked from the Syura Council but the MP for Bachok (Nasharuddin) would not be in PAS' candidates list for the upcoming general election.

It was reported that Nasharuddin was dropped from the council because he had been absent from its meetings on a number of occasions.

However, the widely held view is that the top leadership in PAS was unhappy about his close relationship with Umno leaders, in particularly his accompanying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on visit to Saudi Arabia and recently during the prime minister's ground-breaking humanitarian visit to Gaza, Palestine.