By Jonathan Kent BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

Mr Hadi wants Pas to appeal to a wider range of voters

The head of Malaysia's conservative Islamic Party has called on former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to unite the country's opposition parties.

Abdul Hadi Awang told delegates to his Pas party's annual conference that he accepts Anwar as opposition leader.

The endorsement was a clear reminder that Mr Anwar remains a pivotal figure.

Last September, his conviction for sodomy was overturned and he was released from jail after serving six years on that and corruption charges.

Mr Hadi told supporters that Mr Anwar's charisma and credibility could broaden their appeal.

But he vowed that there would no weakening of the party's past commitment to an Islamic state.

That same commitment, however, has wrecked opposition alliances before.

Anwar ambitions

Due to his past conviction, Anwar cannot run for office until 2008

More than 40% of Malaysians are non-Muslims and deserted parties who joined with Pas in previous elections. Last year, even Muslims punished Pas for talking about religion rather than their everyday worries over jobs, rural poverty and corruption.

And it may be beyond even Mr Anwar's powers of persuasion to unite anti-government politicians and voters, unless Pas backs down.

Nor has the former deputy prime minister responded to this call.

Many here believe that Anwar Ibrahim still harbours ambitions to lead his country, and speculate that he could rejoin the government if former colleagues could be persuaded to forgive and forget.

There is growing concern in Malaysia at the apparent drift in the administration of Abdullah Badawi.

With his reform programme seeming to have lost momentum and with confusion over key policies, some in the prime minister's party have started to talk of grooming a credible successor.