Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has today defended the media in highlighting the Amanat Haji Hadi (Haji Hadi's Message) issue, saying it had nothing to do with politics but more with correcting the deviant practice and its effects on the Muslim community.

NONEMuhyiddin, who is also education minister, said this deviant thought has been spreading for a long time and has split the Muslim community.

"It has resulted in a division of the community and also deviant practice, which is not in accordance with Islam, for those who had wrongly followed what has been said (by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang).

"It is nothing political, but to correct from the religious perception. This has to be highlighted for them to return back to the right path.

We have to make sure that the people are not influenced or threatened by such devious teachings.

"It is to strengthen unity and jamaah (congregation) for all of us. This is to fulfill the development and transformation agenda by BN which requires a strong support from the people," he said.

Muhyiddin said this in his speech at a get-together at the Al Mukhlisin mosque in Cheras.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom and Federal Territories Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

The Amanat Haji Hadi had seen Hadi branding Umno and its supporters as kafir (infidels) for separating politics and religion, during a ceramah in Kuala Terengganu on April 7, 1981.

Umno members claimed that the Amanat Hadi involved them being branded by Abdul Hadi as kafir (infidels) for separating politics and religion.

In actuality what Abdul Hadi, the then-Terengganu PAS commissioner, had in 1981 said is that Umno members had deviated from Islam by perpetuating the laws of colonial “infidel British”.

“We will become infidels if we say politics and religion are separate,” Hadi had said.

Deepen knowledge in Islam

Muhyiddin said the present Muslims are being challenged and threatened by those using religion for their own political gain.

NONEHe said political parties sometimes issue statements resulting in conflict among the people and the Amanat Haji Hadi is one of them.

"This has to be tackled and to do this we have to understand deeply what real Islam is so that we would not duped by these people who uses religion for their political gain," he added.

It had been reported earlier that Abdul Hadi wanted television airtime to share his views on the issue, demanding telecast live for broadcast without any interruption.

On Dec 29, the same day of Abdul Hadi's request, Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim acquiesced.

However, Abdul Hadi's move had been blasted by certain quarters, including Perak mufti Harrussani Zakaria, who said that the PAS president should not be given the opportunity and that it was improper for the politician to impose conditions.

This resulted in Rais withdrawing his offer yesterday on the grounds that the telecast would breach the fatwa issued by the muzakarah committee of the National Fatwa Council on July 24, 2002.