Malaysia's elections chief has warned parties not to promise favours from God in exchange for votes in the forthcoming elections.
The chairman of the Election Commission, a nominally independent body appointed by the government, said promising a place in heaven to potential voters was "illogical and could be disadvantageous to the other candidate(s)".
"How do you justify (saying) that any one who votes for you will go to heaven?," Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said.
He did not name any particular party, but the government has in the past accused the Islamic opposition of such tactics.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi announced on Wednesday that he was calling general elections early, with voting expected to take place in March.
Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman delivered the warning one day earlier, on Tuesday, saying such promises could jeopardise the offender's election result.
In response, the secretary general of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Pas), Nasharuddin Mat Isa, said his party had never resorted to such tactics.
"You can check our video tapes and see for yourself whether we have made such promises. On the contrary, it is the ruling party which makes improper claims through their controlled media," he said.
Pas controls two out of Malaysia's 13 states, and Pas governments have banned gambling, dancing and public consumption of alcohol by non-Muslims.
Observers say there is little chance that Pas would win the upcoming elections, but that it may make gains in Muslim-dominated rural states in the county's north and east.