Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman strongly stood by his deputy minister following claims by a senior PAS leader that Steven Sim was pursuing a Christianisation agenda.

Taking to Twitter, Syed Saddiq described Sim as a brother and said the latter was a “firm believer” in multiculturalism and moderation.

“I never once felt that he wanted to ‘Christianise’ me or KBS (The Youth and Sports Ministry).

“Stop the politics of hate and let’s build more bridges together as a united Malaysia,” the minister tweeted last night.

Yesterday, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man accused the DAP of pursuing a Christianisation agenda by singling out Sim, and cited statements allegedly made by Sim at a forum held in a church in Kota Damansara last Saturday.

Sim responded that he had merely been highlighting values from the Bible to fellow Christians as a guide to becoming good Malaysians.

"I did not criticise or touch on other religions, and in fact urged Malaysian Christians to be good citizens who practised such values,” Sim had said.

The latter instead called on Tuan Ibrahim to respect freedom of religion, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Kit Siang: I’m Buddhist, not Christian

Meanwhile, DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang, in his defence of Sim, accused Tuan Ibrahim of peddling fake news.

“Can Tuan Ibrahim explain what was wrong with Sim speaking at a church forum advising Christians to be good citizens?

“Is Tuan Ibrahim going to suggest that all politicians be banned from speaking at houses of worship, whether mosques, churches or temples, starting with PAS leaders?” Lim said in a statement this morning.

He further denied that DAP had a Christianisation agenda and called on the Kubang Kerian MP to cease spreading hate and division among Malaysians.

“For Tuan Ibrahim’s information and other like-minded PAS and Umno leaders, DAP has no Christianisation agenda and they should stop making such vile and baseless accusation against the DAP.

“I am a Buddhist and not a Christian,” Lim, who is Iskandar Puteri MP, said.