KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, under pressure and under investigation for allegedly issuing a "fatwa" that it was haram to vote for the Pakatan Harapan candidate for the Pulai by-election, has claimed that it was merely a figure of speech.
In a statement tonight, he said he had never issued a "fatwa", adding that he had used the term "hukum haram" without any intentions of pronouncing a fatwa.
"There were those who picked from my ceramah in Pulai on Sept 2 and took it out of context. They have manipulated my speech to say that I had pronounced a haram fatwa for people to vote for PH in the Pulai by-elections.
"My speech was long. I touched on various issues that the people are facing right now, especially on the burden of cost of living which the PH government has yet to address properly.
"That is why I told the voters in Pulai not to vote for the PH candidate, Suhaizan Kayat.
"I did not pronounce a fatwa that it was haram to vote for the PH candidate. I figuratively said, 'I give a hukum haram' and it was done without any intention of saying that it was a fatwa hukum syarak (syariah law fatwa)."
Muhyiddin said it was obvious that he did not intend to issue a fatwa, as immediately after he said that would be those who would challenge on the matter.
He said he would never declare a fatwa as he understood religious law and knew that only the Fatwa Council can do this.
"I believe that those who were followed the entirety of my speecj at the ceramah understood my meaning. Based on the response of the audience that night, I am confident that they did not take my statement as a serious religious fatwa.
"I believe that my speech was taken out of context and manipulated by certain quarters in order to confuse people," he said.