KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 ― Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today wrote a cryptic poem criticising "cow worshippers” for trying to have an unnamed preacher handed over to a tyrannical government.

Asri posted the "poem” on his Facebook page, but did not identify the people mentioned in his writing.

"When those who worship cows unite, and call for our preacher to be troubled, to be given to a cruel government that prays to fire, the burner of widows … in another continent, which teaches people to make castes, to the unfortunate point of being called pariahs...” he wrote in the first half of the poem.

The "poem” was written in Malay and goes on to describe such people residing here as ungrateful.

Asri then said "we” must not remain silent, adding that there were limits to patience and tolerance.

The characteristics he describes in the poem resemble practices that exist in India.

Other facets of the poem similarly resemble ongoing local developments.

Asri did not respond to Malay Mail Online"s calls and messages for clarification.