KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Malay-Muslims in Malaysia should take heed of the unity of the Muslim community in communist China, Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria said.

The Muslim cleric told local broadsheet Mingguan Malaysia that he was surprised to see a mosque in China overflowing with people, despite the Chinese government’s attempts to repress religious expression.

"I find that the Muslims in China do not immediately go home after they pray; instead they gather in a place like a garden in the vicinity of the mosque.

"That’s where they greet each other and chat. That’s when they meet each other and the Muslims ask about each other. If there are those in difficulties, they will help and if there are those who are ill, they will treat them. That’s their strength. That’s why, even though they are oppressed, the faith of Muslims in China is very strong,” Harussani was quoted saying.

The UK’s Independent reported last month that China was attempting to prevent people from fasting during Ramadan in the mostly-Muslim province of Xinjiang, where public servants were allegedly banned from fasting, restaurants were ordered to remain open, and Communist party activists were forced to do marathon 24-hour guard shifts at public buildings.

Harussani claimed that Malay-Muslims in Malaysia were divided because of politics, saying that although other races were in various political parties, but they were headed in one direction compared to the Malays who had different parties and different struggles.

"I tell you honestly today that even though we have political power in our hands, but we are under threat because we are forced to entertain claims from other races.

"In the coming general election, I fear that this division will be a huge curse to the Malays,” the cleric was quoted saying.

Harussani also claimed that disunity had caused the colonisation of the Malays.

"When we were colonised, we were insulted, we became weak, our economy was suppressed and other races were brought in when they were supposed to have returned to their countries upon Merdeka. But because we were weak, we accepted them and shared our land, named Tanah Melayu, even though these races were already advanced in terms of their economy, causing us to fall even further back,” he was quoted saying.