In a report yesterday by FMT, Adenan Satem had said that former Perlis mufti and BN candidate Juanda Jaya was chosen for his qualities as a modern ustaz – open-minded, “liberal” and not puritanical.

Wan Ji agreed with Adenan’s views that such qualities were important.

However, Wan Ji considered Adenan’s use of the word “liberal” inaccurate, preferring the term “open-minded”.

Wan Ji described people with this trait as being not quick to declare certain matters as haram (illegal).

“To me, Malaysia needs open-minded religious interpretation,” he said when contacted by FMT.

“Open-minded thinking is important in Malaysia, not just in Sarawak.”

Wan Ji added that religious teachers need to have the mindset that if something can be thought to be halal, that perspective should be considered as well.

“One shouldn’t stick to a perspective that quickly declares all matters as haram,” said Wan Ji, who is with PKR’s Youth Wing.

However, he admitted that he was not thoroughly familiar with the religious situation in Sarawak.

The traits described by Adenan, he said, were necessary to instil a religious culture based on wisdom and tolerance.

Wan Ji criticised the oppressive attitude of certain schools of religious thought, especially those that dismissed the Syiah and Salafi schools of thought.

“We need to believe that Malaysians are discerning.

“All schools of thought should be given room to be heard. Let Malaysians use their wisdom to judge the differences between the schools of thought.”

When asked on his personal opinion of Juanda contesting on a BN ticket, Wan Ji said the former mufti should be contesting for Pakatan Harapan to bring about a new way of thinking regarding religion.