PETALING JAYA: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang delivered his weekly sermon at Masjid Rusila in Marang, Terengganu, today despite a ban against politicians giving religious lectures in mosques and suraus, Utusan Malaysia reported.
The ban was imposed by the Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maidam). It said that Terengganu’s Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin was upset that some politicians had given religious lectures or classes, and led Friday prayers without the council’s approval.
The Marang MP delivered his sermon after handing over donations collected by Terengganu PAS for the Turkey and Syria earthquake victims.
Hadi had previously played down the ban saying such prohibitions were in place since the ’60s and that Maidam was merely repeating it.
“I will continue with my sermons as normal at suraus and mosques.”
Meanwhile, Terengganu PAS chief Husain Awang advised the party’s leaders to apply for permission from Maidam to conduct religious sermons at mosques and suraus, adding that some leaders already had them.
Husain also said that PAS politicians are merely conducting religious lectures, not political lectures.
“We are just fulfilling our duties as Muslims by conducting dakwah (religious preaching),” he said.
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