Hudud alone will not make Malaysia an Islamic state, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

He said this when asked about the discourse on the issues of hudud and syariah.

"Hudud only involves six types of penalties. We can't then say that once we implement hudud our responsibility to govern the state is fulfilled.

"This is not right. Islam is not just about punishment but about human capital development, education, strengthening the economy," said Asyraf on the sidelines of the World Muslim Leadership Forum in Petaling Jaya today.

He said domination of discussion over current affairs and politics has buried discourse on issues more crucial to Muslims.

He said this has been the trend in the Islamic world in the last century.

"The discourse and debate focuses only on the model of an Islamic state," he said.

This neglects discussion on other matters like knowledge, civilisation, strengthening the economy, escaping poverty and even literacy, he said.

"... but the focus is mostly on rhetorical matters as if Islam only in form but not in substance," he said.

He earlier read out Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's speech which stressed the need for Muslim leaders to change the perception that Islam is linked to terrorism.