A top Muslim cleric has condemned as blasphemous the melding of celebrations for the major Muslim and Hindu festivals which fall close together this month in multicultural Malaysia.

Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights, is being held three days before the Muslim Aidil Fitri, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan - creating a holiday season Malaysians call "DeepaRaya".

Perak state mufti Harussani Zakaria, a member of the National Fatwa Council, criticised the joint celebrations and said Muslims should not mix their religious festivals with those of non-Muslims.

Politicians of both religions are holding joint "open houses" where they serve Malay and Indian food at the same table, and joint cultural performances are being staged with Malay and Indian dancers.

"This is against the tenets of Islam," Harussani told AFP late Monday. "We practice tolerance in our country, but it does not mean that we should celebrate each other's festivals."

"The non-Muslims should celebrate their own festivals without involving us."

The issue flared earlier this month, when Mohd Fauzi Mustaffar, head of the Islamic law department at insurance company Takaful Malaysia, drew fire for reportedly forbidding Muslim staff from delivering Hindu festive greetings to ethnic Indian Malaysians.

Abdullah Mohamad Zin, from the prime minister's department, blasted Fauzi, saying pleasantries were important for racial harmony.

"He has no authority to say Muslims shouldn't wish Hindus (well) because that is like a fatwa (edict)," Abdullah was quoted as saying, adding that only government Islamic bodies could issue fatwas.

Simply wrong

Harussani, who is well-known for his fiery outbursts, said while it was not blasphemous to extend wishes to someone of another faith celebrating a festival, it was "simply wrong" to celebrate the occasion with them.

"It is as if we Muslims are celebrating the gods of our Hindu or Christian friends, for example," he said.

"In Islam, we are required to respect all religions and faiths, but not to believe in them, as such acts are blasphemous and against the teachings of Islam."

The government was forced earlier this year to downplay calls from the National Fatwa Council to review joint celebrations, arguing they were in the interests of maintaining racial harmony.

Malaysia's population is dominated by Muslim Malays, who live alongside large minorities of ethnic Indians and Chinese who practice Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.