KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 1 -- PAS' Ulama Council has confirmed it has received fresh membership applications from three former Perlis assemblymen whose party status was terminated during the state's political turmoil late last year, Berita Harian reported.

The council said it had accepted new applications from Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji), effectively passing the matter to the party's central leadership rather than treating it as a reinstatement.

In a statement, council member Datuk Ahmad Yahaya said the bodyhad declined to decide on the trio's appeal because it fell outside its jurisdiction.

"(We are) accepting the new membership applications from the three former assemblymen and ...