PH urges police to investigate PAS leader over prayer to defend Kedah govt

Pakatan Harapan (PH) has lodged a police report against former Kedah PAS Dewan Ulamak deputy chief Syeikh Zainul Asri Mohd Romli following his speech during the Kedah Berselawat assembly on Saturday.

The report was lodged by PH media mobilisation bureau chief Muhammad Yahaya at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters (IPD) in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

According to Muhammad, the report was made after Sheikh Zainul Asri said "May God protect Kedah from falling into the hands of God's enemies" in his speech.

He said the phrase contained words of propaganda, as if to say that only PAS and Perikatan Nasional are with Allah while the other parties are the enemies.

According to him, the phrase was uttered at a time when the state is preparing for the state elections, and this was seen to be unhealthy and could instill hatred and encourage extremism among the people.

"We hope that the police will conduct an investigation immediately against the individual and prohibit the use of religion in the upcoming state election campaign," he said when met at the Dang Wangi IPD.

Muhammad said the use of religious references and rhetoric in politics must be stopped because it is feared that they could be misinterpreted and lead to violence and religious extremism adding that it was religious terms like "jihad" that led to the establishment of the Al Maunah group and the Memali tragedy.