PAS dewan ulama believes the incident involving PAS assemblyperson Mohd Khairuddin Othman dressing as a 'Chinese deity' was due to a misunderstanding.

Its deputy chief Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh said the wing believes that Khairuddin did not mean to go against religious boundaries nor did he mean to insult Islam.

“The incident occurred because of a misunderstanding and a lack of understanding on the practices of other religions,” he said in a statement today.

As such, Nik Zawawi ( photo ) said the PAS wing hopes that all PAS members will be more cautious in everything they do which involves religious elements.

“This is so that problems will not arise and slander will not occur against all religions in our beloved country.

“(We hope) that this mistake will not recur and we hope that everything will be forgiven by Allah,” he said.

Khairuddin had said he was prepared to face censure from the party's dewan ulama after realising the costume he donned likened him to one of the eight immortals of the Tao pantheon, Cao Guojiu.

The Paya Jaras assemblyperson said he did not realise the costume had religious or spiritual elements.

He said he was informed by local residents who invited him to the Chinese New Year celebrations in Kepong that the costume was that of a "Chinese emperor".