Mais chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof said the preacher’s statement contained elements of slander and was made without an understanding of the objective and wisdom behind the Selangor sultan’s decree prohibiting political activists from teaching religion in the state.

He said Muslims were advised to understand the meaning and the purpose of the orders of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who does not condone any political activist to be granted credentials to teach religion in the state.

The political activists, as mentioned in the decree, are not limited to individuals holding positions in any political party but also those who openly engage in activities that explicitly encourage and influence the public to support or align with specific political parties, leading to partisan and fanatical behaviour.

“Based on investigations and security screenings by the police, Mais found that Dusuki falls under that category of political activists,” he said in a statement here today.

Aziz said at present there were 5,682 active accredited preachers in Selangor and the revocation of the credentials from political activists, which began last year, only involved 26 (or 0.5%) of those individuals.

“This prohibition does not in any way affect dakwah activities in Selangor.

“Mais remains committed to ensuring that the dakwah activities continue to flourish as a platform for the dissemination of knowledge and are free from political propaganda.”

Mais also advised all parties to exercise caution and refrain from making statements that insult, deny or question the decree of the Selangor sultan or the directives of Mais, as it constitutes an offence that can be subject to legal action under the Syariah Criminal Enactment (Selangor) 1995.