Malaysia's Home Ministry has ruled that no new political parties will be allowed to use the word "Islam" in their titles, the national Bernama news agency said. ...Deputy Home Minister Azmi Khalid, quoted by Bernama did not give reasons (for ban on the) word "Islam" ...

But Mahathir has been struggling to secure Muslim votes from the Parti Islam (PAS), an Islamic party and the only opposition party that controls a Malaysian state. Muslims form slightly more than half of Malaysia's total population of 22 million. ...

Azmi said there were two other political parties with Islamic names - Barisan Jamaah Islamiah Semalaysia and Hizbul Muslimin Malaysia - but they were not active. Malaysia has 39 political organisations, and 14 of them are grouped under Mahathir's government coalition. (Source: The Muslim World, 14 August, 1999)