KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — PAS politician Syeikh Zainul Asri Mohd Romli today apologised for praying for divine intervention to protect Kedah from falling into the hands of "enemies”, ahead of the six state elections.

The former Kedah PAS Dewan Ulama deputy chief said his remarks in a speech during the Kedah Berselawat assembly last Saturday was not directed at any political party and that his critics had misinterpreted it.

"I apologise to all Muslims as well as all Malaysians who were offended and touched by the consequential remarks.

"I'm not targeting any party or pointing to any politician or anyone,” he said in a three-minute-long video posted on his Facebook account yesterday.

Syeikh Zainul Asri reportedly said "Semoga Allah mempertahankan Kedah daripada jatuh ke tangan musuh Allah”.

In English, the phrase translates to "May God protect Kedah from falling into the hands of God’s enemies”.

Pakatan Harapan’s media mobilisation bureau chief Muhammad Yahaya filed a complaint against Syeikh Zainul at the Dang Wangi District police headquarters here.

According to Muhammad, the PAS politician’s remark suggested that only PAS and its partners in the Perikatan Nasional coalition are on God’s side and that all other parties are the "enemy”.

He added that such remarks ahead of the state elections could instil hatred and encourage extremism in multiracial, multireligious, and multicultural Malaysia.

Muhammad called for a stop to use religious references and rhetoric in politics, saying it could lead to violence and religious extremism.

He claimed that it was religious terms like jihad that led to the establishment of the Al Maunah group and the Memali Incident of 1985.