BUKIT MERTAJAM, MALAYSIA: PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the swearing on the Quran by Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan was a desperate act by the Barisan Nasional to win support in the Permatang Pauh by-election.

She said it was wrong for Muslims to use the name of Allah for political mileage and in this case by the Barisan to woo voters.

"Why is Saiful making the declaration on the eve of Nomination Day?" Wan Azizah, who is the wife of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday.

PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat says Saiful's move to swear on the Quran was un-Islamic.

He said there was no requirement in the Quran that called on Muslims to hold the holy book while making a solemn declaration.

"It is normal for Christians to swear on the Holy Bible. It seems that he wanted to follow the Christian way of doing it.

"In Islam, it is enough to say the three holy words - wallahi, wabillahi, watallahi. There is no need to hold the Quran," he said at the Tuanku Bainun Teacher's Institute here yesterday.

He was here for the nomination of the by-election.

Nik Aziz said Mohd Saiful's approach to swear in the name of Allah was, however, commonly practiced by Muslims.

"If he is sincere, he will be the one who knows best. If not, he will be sinful," he said adding that Mohd Saiful's declaration was a personal one between him and God. Nik Aziz said in Islam, when a person swore on the name of Allah, he was inviting Allah to be a witness.

Agreeing with Nik Aziz, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said instead of swearing, Saiful should have brought his allegations of sodomy to the Syariah Court.