PUTRAJAYA, Sept 28 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar today said he will meet Ipoh Timur MP Howard Lee Chuan How in the near future.

He said the meeting with Lee is to shed a light on how Quranic verses are cited.

"The video was shown to me, and from what I can see, he (Howard) did not interpret the verses, but instead, he cited their meaning.

"Insyallah, we will meet Howard soon, to explain it. A certain discipline is required when citing Quranic verses,” he said during a press conference after the national-level Maulidur Rasul 1445 Hijrah/2023 celebrations at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.

Mohd Naim stressed that muftis and state religious departments play a pivotal role in explaining the meaning of Quranic verses to the community.

"I strongly recommend that the muftis and state religious departments, and not just in the context of Howard, but for all communities, play their role in explaining Quranic verses.

"The muftis are the experts who are appointed by the Malay Rulers. They have that platform,” he said.

On Tuesday, Lee publicly apologised for quoting a verse from the Quran in a video posted on social media recently.

Lee said he had absolutely no intention of touching on the sensitivities of the Muslim community, and welcomed the recommendation made by Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki regarding the matter.

Last Friday, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the department would record Lee’s statement on the incident.

Perak Police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri previously said the first report on the case was lodged at the Jalan Tun Razak Police Station in Kuala Lumpur, while the non-governmental organisation Jalinan Bersatu Sahabat (Jabat) Perak also filed a report last Thursday.

Meanwhile, Lee confirmed on Wednesday that police had taken his statement but did not disclose where it was recorded.