Muslim converts should not be discriminated against - Dr Mahathir

People who have converted to Islam should not be subjected to discrimination by the Muslim community or regarded as 'second-class Muslims', said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr Mahathir, who is the patron of the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim), said Muslims should treat new converts as brothers.

"There should be no discrimination. Sometimes we feel that they are 'second-class Muslims'. That is wrong. There is no difference between one Muslim and another except from the view of 'taqwa' (piety/fear of Allah).

"That (taqwa) is the only thing that differentiates us," he told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the Perkim Multiracial Muslim Regional Seminar here today.

The two-day seminar, which began today, aims to strengthen Muslim solidarity and serve as a platform to gather ideas and opinions in uniting Muslims. Meanwhile, when asked about the attendance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang at the Malaysian Al-Azhar Alumni Regional Conference 2015 in Kuala Lumpur yesterday where they met, Dr Mahathir gave a positive remark on the possibility of UMNO-PAS cooperation.

"We will be happy if there is collaboration between UMNO and PAS," he said.