KUALA LUMPUR: Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang gave his weekly sermon at Masjid Rusila in Marang, Terengganu, today despite a ban on politicians delivering religious lectures in mosques and suraus, a Malay daily reported.
The Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) had recently barred politicians from giving religious lectures in mosques and suraus in the state, without its permission.
Terengganu Ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin had expressed his disappointment in a statement announcing the ban, stating that he "was upset" about some politicians delivering religious lectures or leading Friday prayers without the council's approval.
Hadi, who is also Marang MP delivered his sermon after handing over donations collected by Terengganu Pas for the Turkiye and Syria earthquake victims.
Hadi had on March 5 defended Muslim politicians' right to deliver political sermons in mosques.
He also described the ban as a "common instruction", adding that it had been in place since the 1960s and that Maidam was merely repeating it.
"We will continue our sermons as usual at the suraus and mosques", he had said.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Pas commissioner Senator Datuk Husain Awang advised the party's leaders to seek Maidam's permission before holding religious sermons at mosques and suraus, adding that some leaders had already done so.
Husain also emphasised that Pas politicians were solely conducting religious lectures and not political ones.
"We are just fulfilling our duties as Muslims by conducting dakwah (religious preaching)," he said.