KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — In a debate on the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2020 to propose heavier fines for drink driving offenders, PAS’ Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh has claimed that all religions forbid alcohol consumption.

Nik Zawawi said consumption of alcohol is not allowed by Islamic teachings and similarly with all other religions including Christianity, even claiming that Jesus has forbidden alcohol before the Bible was later “manipulated”.

“Beruas, I hope you study the facts of other religions, because before the Bible was ‘manipulated’, Jesus had made all consumption of alcohol, including consumption in small amounts as ‘haram’,” he said referring to DAP’s Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, using the Islamic term for “forbidden”.

“This is according to studies I have done when comparing between religions, that all religions do not allow its believers to consume alcohol,” he claimed.

Ngeh had earlier asked for clarification, pointing out that there exist religions where the consumption of alcohol is not forbidden.

“Which religion are you referring to YB? The basis of the matter is, whether consumed in small amounts [or not] it intoxicates a person, and therefore even in small amounts it is not allowed.

“This is the same with Christian teachings,” Nik Zawawi replied to Ngeh.

In an attempt to correct Nik Zawawi, Ngeh cited the use of wine in the Lord’s Supper or as practised in modern times in a symbolic manner, the Holy Communion — where adherents partake in the consumption the bread and wine.

“I am from a Methodist [denomination] church and we use Ribena juice. I hope you correct your statement,” Ngeh said when he interjected Nik Zawawi.

However, Nik Zawawi insisted that his studies were based on journals written by Christian scholars and not of Muslim scholars.

Despite Nik Zawawi’s claim, various religions have differing opinion on intoxicants such as alcoholic drinks, with some forbidding it, while in some, alcohol is part of their rituals.

The matter was raised in relation to PAS’ contention to propose for a ban on alcohol entirely as a step to curb drink driving offences.

As raised previously by other PAS leaders, they had blamed the former Pakatan Harapan government for not banning alcohol sales in neighbourhood stores.

The party’s information chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad had in May said that drink driving should not be viewed lightly.

He reportedly said the offence stemmed from weak laws and enforcement apart from the selfish and stubborn nature of drunkards.