KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — After the Perak mufti, his Perlis counterpart has also chided Muslims who joined the candlelight vigil in memory of the Korean pop star who died of suspected suicide last week.

Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was quoted saying in Utusan Malaysia yesterday that it is already forbidden for Muslims to mourn their own deceased family members, what more a K-pop artist that has no blood ties with them.

"Mourning is forbidden except for a wife and women, with certain conditions,” he reportedly claimed.

"Mourning because of an artist is opposing the command of Prophet Muhammad, what more if it is because of suicide.”

Asri clarified Muslims are allowed to listen to K-pop, but warned against "idolising” them, claiming it would lead to "extreme fanaticism”.

On Saturday, Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria had claimed that Muslims are forbidden from joining the candlelight vigil, and asked about the necessity for Muslims to pray for a deceased non-Muslim to go to heaven especially when he allegedly committed suicide.

In 2015, the national fatwa council had declared that participating in candlelight vigils is "haram”, or forbidden for Muslims.

The reason given was because such vigils are similar to other religions’ practice, and may threaten a Muslim’s faith.

On Thursday night, around 100 fans of the late Kim Jong-hyun from various ethnic and religious backgrounds gathered near Dataran Merdeka in the capital for a candlelight vigil in memory of him.

Coming from all over the Klang Valley, they held up glow sticks, torches, balloons and flowers as they mourned him. Most who attended were students.

The 27-year-old singer-songwriter was found unconscious at a private hotel in Seoul on Monday and died in the hospital. Police are treating his death as suicide.

In an apparent suicide note, Kim, better known as front man Jonghyun of the Korean-pop sensation SHINee, wrote that he was "broken from the inside.”