KUANTAN, May 4 — Contrary to accusations hurled against it, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has never sidelined Islam, says party secretariat chief  Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

In fact, he said, the government implemented numerous agenda to ennoble the national religion, such as the move to restructure the country’s largest Islamic institution, Tabung Haji.

"PH has also introduced the rahmatan lil alamin concept based on the principle of maqasid syariah which elevates the objective of syariah to a higher level.

"The government has also attended to the needs of the tahfiz institution such as financial support,” he told reporters after attending the Indera Mahkota parliamentary-level Academic Excellence Appreciation programme and launch of the Sinar Kasih programme here today.

Saifuddin who is also Foreign Affairs Minister was asked for his comments regarding the accusations by certain quarters including Gerakan Pembela Ummah (UMMAH) which held a rally to defend the sovereignty of Islam, in the federal capital today.

Nevertheless, he said the organisers had the right to hold the rally on the basis of freedom of speech.

In another development, Saifuddin who is also Indera Mahkota member of parliament said he would not apologise to the four academicians for describing them as ‘kangkung professors’.

"That term was introduced by prominent academician Syed Hussein Alatas to label scholars who distort knowledge,” he said.

Saifuddin opined that the four academicians had not been honest in their advice on the Rome Statute. — Bernama