It says only the Shariah Court has exclusive jurisdiction to determine issues of renunciation as per Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution.

Arun Dorasamy was questioned by the Bukit Aman police, who are investigating him under three laws.

Police have arrested the two Christian men accused of the blasphemy, and are investigating them, and said they have rounded up nearly 160 people involved in the mob attack.

The prime minister says the proposal is to defend the interests of all Malaysians, not just the Malays.

Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar was one of the first to congratulate Anwar Ibrahim last year, and was bestowed the top Islamic award from the Malaysian government eight months later.

Panji Gumilang, head of the Al-Zaytun school in conservative West Java province, faces a maximum 10 years in prison if found guilt of blasphemy and hate speech.

He says the government has never sidestepped Islam as the official religion, the sovereignty of the Malay rulers, the special rights of the Malays, and Bahasa Melayu as the national language.

Pilgrims in white robes and sandals pack the ancient city, now dotted with luxury hotels and air-conditioned shopping malls, after flooding in on planes, buses and trains for the annual rites.

The burning of Islam's holy book in Stockholm sparked anger in the Muslim world, leading to weeks of protests, calls for a boycott of Swedish goods, and holding up Sweden's Nato membership bid.

Mais warns that the programme runs afoul of the state's Islamic enactments.

The West has said the Taliban needs to reverse its course on women's rights, including a U-turn on signals they would open girls' high schools, for any path towards formal recognition of the Taliban government.

Every year, the Malabaris, a community of Indian Muslims from the Malabar region of Kerala, India, gather to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.