KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — An Umno senator today refuted claims that Malaysia’s Islamic muftis issue religious decrees, or fatwa, only to support Putrajaya’s policies as they were subservient and well-paid to do so.

According to Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the muftis were elected by the Malay rulers themselves, and their fatwas must not be disrespected as such since they are the highest authorities on the religion in the country.

“We must respect them, not to dispute and denigrate them. Not to say that they are paid by the government to follow the taste of the government,” Asyraf told reporters after a book launch in Federal Territories Mosque here.

“Whereas, they don’t have any direct link to the administration… furthermore, they are more afraid of Allah than humans.”

Last week, the local chapter of a hardline Islamist group had condemned local muftis for backing the goods and services tax (GST), accusing these leaders of blindly supporting Putrajaya’s regressive policies as they were too well-paid to care about the allegedly un-Islamic tax system.

“We all know that the mufti’s position is a paid one and is glamorous. Therefore it has become commonplace for those who are paid to serve their masters and to allow their masters to do as they please.

“If they (muftis) do not (support the government)... they will lose their worldly position which they love so much,” said Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia in a statement on their website titled ‘Why does the mufti’s fatwas always align with the government’s tyranny?’

This came after National Fatwa Council head Tan Sri Dr Shukor Husin reaffirmed that the Islam allows government to collect taxes, including GST, from the public be it from Muslims or non-Muslims.

Asyraf, who who also heads the Muslim missionary group Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia, urged Muslims to meet muftis directly to discuss any of their opinion differences, rather than making public statements.

“When we mock our religious authorities, it is as if we are denigrating our own religion. Are we not ashamed of non-Muslims, when we ourselves ridicule our own religious institutions?” he asked.