Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Islamic credentials may have went up a few notches after it was revealed that he had helped someone convert to Islam.

Umno Youth exco member Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya revealed this in a video uploaded onto YouTube this week.

Fathul Bari said the video was to reply to criticism that Malaysia's Islamic affairs department's procedural requirements made it difficult for someone to convert to Islam.

Fathul Bari said the process was actually so simple that even Najib could help a person to convert with minister-in-charge of Islamic affairs Jamil Khir Baharom as witness.

Fathul said the person whom Najib helped convert to Islam was a radio announcer.

"He converted to Islam and the process was quick. It involved the prime minister and the minister in the prime minister's department as the witness.

"We brought the document (showing he had converted) to the religious affairs department and the document showed that the person was converted by the prime minister of Malaysia.

"So our friend at the religious affairs department was shaking when he held the document," he quipped.

Mosque turned them away

When contacted, Fathul Bari said the incident happened in 2014 but declined to elaborate further.

Fathul Bari said the procedures are at that time were so cumbersome that some mosques turned away non-Muslims who wanted to learn more about the religion.

"Sometimes, this religious affairs department's procedures turn people off and delay them from officially converting to Islam.

"It's a true story, and it happened in a mosque in Petaling Jaya. I don't want to name the mosque but I know people went to them to embrace Islam and but were instead told to go home," he said.

The imam there also did not allow those who were interested to convert to enter the mosque because they were not Muslims, he said.