"Conscious of the hopes and spirit and the confidence shown towards me by the Shura Council, I hereby accept this trust in the name of Allah and pray for His guidance in leading the party's future course.

"I hope the entire PAS leadership at all levels would give me their commitment in making the party's and its Pakatan Rakyat partners' mission a success," he said in his first statement after his reappointment as Murshidul Am by the Shura Council today.

The Murshidul Am acts as a general guide and spiritual advisor in the party to ensure the party sticks to its policies and Islamic ideology.

Nik Aziz described the appointment as a challenge, adding that it would depend heavily on his health as well as his schedule.

"I regard this as something decided by the Almighty... Only this morning, I had returned from the doctor's checkup at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian."

Saying he was prepared to accept the role of Murshidul Am again, Nik Aziz said it was a heavy responsibility especially in facing the next general elections.

Earlier the influential Ulama Consultative Council, also known as the Shura Council, decided to re-appoint Nik Aziz and Dr Haron Din as Murshidul Am and Deputy Murshidul Am respectively for the next five years.

The Council held its first meeting for the new session, comprising new members appointed of the Council, at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Recent amendments to the PAS constitution increased the number of members in the Council from 12 to 17, and included for the first time members from the Youth and Muslimat wings which had not been represented in the past.