'Imam Muda' contestant Ammar Wan Harun says his Facebook posting was wrongly interpreted as being anti-vaccination.

The reality TV contestant caught flak from Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah, who condemned him for using religion to discourage vaccination.

'Imam Muda' is a reality TV show to discover young Islamic clerics.

"I am not anti-vaccination, my child was vaccinated at birth but I would like the views of those who are against it to be respected.

"We should not view something as more powerful than fate.

"Relax. No need to be so touchy," Ammar quipped.

He also said that he took down the earlier posting, which caught flak, because he was "getting too much pahala (reward) from God" and that it was causing others to sin.

Muslims believe that one is rewarded by God if others slander or speak ill about him or her.

Two deaths from diphtheria

Ammar had earlier commented on the death of an un-vaccinated child.

"Oh, I thought 90 percent, but not even one percent (is affected).

"I didn't realise that it was not the angel of death who took the child's life and that vaccinated children get extra lifelines. How lucky.

"And that those who are not vaccinated are safe from traffic accidents. Don't be angry, I'm only asking," Ammar said in the earlier posting.

Noor Hisham, in response, said irresponsible postings that ride on religion deviate from the true teachings of Islam.

"What a shameful act," he added in his post, which included a screenshot of Ammar's original statement.

This comes after diphtheria was reported to have caused two deaths. Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose.

The spread of diphtheria can be prevented using vaccines.

Besides the deaths, at least 11 new cases have been detected - three confirmed and eight suspected.

The Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia attributed the reluctance to vaccinate to misinformation.

It urged muftis and scholars to deliver facts on vaccination so as to remove doubts among Muslims.