The Prime Minister's Department today warned PAS not to politicise the black metal issue saying that if the party insisted on doing so, so could the government.

"I can cite examples of PAS teaching kindergarten children to step on the prime minister's photo. When they join Black metal groups, they step on the Quran ," the department's parliamentary secretary Noh Omar said in Parliament, to thumps of support from Barisan Nasional backbenchers.

"Another example. During the last general elections, Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat said it was all right to befriend the Devil in order to win votes. This is like the black metal fans saying it is all right to worship the devil," he said.

Noh was responding to PAS MP for Baling, Taib Azamudeen Mohd Taib, who asked the prime minister to state what measures have been taken by the Federal Religious Department (Jakim) on the problem of more and more Muslims becoming apostates.

The department was also asked whether the government intended to 'leave it to parents and close relatives to save these apostates'.

Taib Azamudeen had insisted that the number of Muslim apostates was more than the one reported.

He further queried if such a phenomenon was related to the government's selective restriction on speech and assembly while allowing 'immoral' concerts to be held freely.

"Are black metal fans' activities such as burning and stepping on the Holy Book related to this?" Taib Azamudeen asked.

"We are told that Kedah has no laws to tackle this problem. We want a clarification and an explanation whether this approach is related to anyone's personal interest or is the government going to hide from the truth and reality," he added.

No legal means

In reply, Noh said the government viewed apostasy seriously and was undertaking efforts to counter it by providing rehabilitation and counselling.

"However, we have no legal means or legal force to force people into rehabilitation centres unless they come voluntarily. If we arrest them and take them in, that will be an infringement of their rights," he said, refuting allegations that the number of apostates is on the rise.

Noh said the government is currently consulting religious mufti across the country on how to handle the apostasy and the black-metal problem. A visit to Middle Eastern countries is being planned to see how the apostasy laws were implemented there, he added.

He said the government had conducted several programmes such as religious activities for new converts nationwide as well as youth counselling sessions for those who had problems.

However, Noh stressed that parents and guardians should also play an active role in ensuring that their children or wards do not abandon Islam.

He urged Muslims not to depend on the federal government to solve the apostasy problem alone and invited PAS, which rules Kelantan and Terengganu, to also share the burden.