KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman claimed that it was a “huge sin” for Muslims to cooperate with the DAP after the party opposed hudud and PAS’ Bill to enhance Shariah courts’ punitive powers.

Umno-linked daily Utusan Malaysia also reported Abdul Rahman as urging former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to quit working with the predominantly Chinese opposition party.

“We see that DAP was totally against the implementation of hudud and the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

“Their principles are clearly in hatred of Islam and it’s a huge sin for Muslims to work with them,” Abdul Rahman was quoted saying.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang tabled a private member’s Bill in Parliament last month to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 to allow Islamic courts to impose harsher sentences, except for the death penalty, as Shariah court punishments are currently restricted to jail terms not exceeding three years, or whipping of not more than six strokes, or fines of not more than RM5,000.

Abdul Rahman previously refused to apologise to the DAP over the state religious department’s Aidiladha sermon last September that claimed it was against Islam to join the party.

The Pahang cleric had also accused the DAP of meddling in Islam over its opposition to PAS’ plans to enforce hudud, a harsh Islamic penal code that provides for punishments like the amputation of limbs and death by stoning, in Kelantan.

Abdul Rahman reportedly told Dr Mahathir yesterday to seek forgiveness from God.

“PAS made a mistake before by associating with the DAP before they realised that that party is an enemy of Islam. I hope that Dr Mahathir increases ‘istighfar’ and stops working with the DAP,” he said, using the Arabic phrase that means the act of seeking forgiveness from God.