PUTRAJAYA, March 7 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the ban on politicians giving lectures or political talks in mosques and surau must be respected by all parties.

He said the ban is applicable to all parties, including himself.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said he, himself, would avoid accepting invitations to give talks at mosques.

"In respecting the order (by religious authorities), I avoid giving talks when I stop at a mosque for Friday prayer,” he said when met by the media after attending the Finance Ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

The prime minister said this in response to a statement by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang on March 4, where he was reported to have said that there was nothing wrong with politicians delivering sermons or religious lectures at mosques and surau, instead it was compulsory for them to do so.

Hadi’s comments were reported to be over the Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) banning politicians from delivering religious lectures in mosques and suraus in the state. — Bernama