The recently concluded general election has proven certain Islamic scholars who had argued against changing governments wrong, said Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.

“The 14th general election is a good example for the Islamic world to witness.

“It is also a case study for Islam, particularly in the manner in which a change of government has taken place without shedding even a single drop of blood.

“It (change) was achieved in just one night,” said the mufti in a statement today, referring to the dramatic Pakatan Harapan government win on May 9, touted by many as a “people’s tsunami”.

“(The election) shows the good attitude and highly civilised nature of Malaysians,” he said.

“It also nullifies claims by certain parties in the world of Islamic scholarship who had called changing the government ‘haram’ (illegal in the eyes of Islam), claiming it would lead to bloodshed,” said Asri.

“It is even more unfortunate among the literalists of the holy scripture, who debate the illegality of changing the government without understanding the almighty or the source of the illegality, that is, concerning shedding of blood,” he added.

While it is unclear who the outspoken mufti was referring to, certain quarters had argued against changing the BN government using religious reasoning.

Among those was Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria, who on April 12, 2016 said, “Toppling a leader is prohibited even when he is a tyrant and does not give the rakyat their rights.

“It is haram to topple a leader in Islam, let alone to openly instigate the people to do it.

“If we demand for our rights and it is not given, the mistake is between the said leader and Allah, he will be made to pay for it,” he was reported as saying at the time.

Malaysia’s first change of federal government surprised many, particularly the incumbent BN, who had been claiming they were confident of an even bigger win.

Harapan was also initially pessimistic, faced with numerous obstacles put in place, from the bulldozing of the highly controversial redelineation said to favour BN, to the temporary suspension of Bersatu by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Asri said the Islamic laws about changing governments were based on the historical occurrence of bloodshed, which was to be avoided.

“Malaysians have proven that good and democratic practices can make this a peaceful process, that is beneficial to the people,” he said, adding some of the historical circumstances of the teachings are not always appropriate to be emulated today.