KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 ― Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Nik Salleh retracted and apologised in Parliament today for his controversial remarks about alcohol consumption and the Bible made four months ago.

The lawmaker from PAS had initially refused to do so back in August despite pressure from the Opposition.

“So, I apologise if anyone was hurt, it was not my intention. What I intended to do is to defend the original form of the Bible that was revealed to Jesus, without any alterations, which led me to defend it,” Nik Muhammad Zawawi said today after being ordered to retract and apologise by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

Nik Muhammad Zawawi had claimed the Bible was manipulated during the previous Parliament sitting during a debate on the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2020 to propose heavier fines for drink driving offenders..

He had claimed to have done a comparison study of religions and argued that all creeds forbid alcohol consumption, including Christianity.

He went as far as claiming that Jesus forbade alcohol consumption before the Bible was “manipulated”.

“I would like to state that the issues involving the Bible are not just one which involves Christians. We Muslims also believe in the Bible which was revealed to Jesus.  That is a belief which we defend, and when I said manipulated or altered, my aim was to defend the originality of the book as it is,” he said.

In an attempt to correct Nik Zawawi in August, Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Khoo Ham 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 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 opinions 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 (PH) 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.