‘Organiser failed to comply with syariah-related conditions'

The Sun

7 days ago

PETALING JAYA: Spiritual intimacy and marital programme organiser eHati International Sdn Bhd had failed to fully comply with the syariah -related conditions issued during a previous clarification session in 2022, said Selangor Islamic Religious Department director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad.
He said in a statement yesterday that the department had denied giving formal approval for the eHati programme.
'A clarification panel appointed by the department obtained an explanation from the organisers of the eHati programme following a complaint received from a participant.
'The complainant at the time alleged that activities contradicting syariah law had taken place during the programme.'
The organisers were shown to have used a video demonstrating female 'self-pleasure' as a method to strengthen marital intimacy.
The panel advised that such content must be removed, and any future programmes must strictly comply with syariah principles.
The department also recommended that a disclaimer be included stating that the video content was meant solely for married couples.
It emphasised that these recommendations did not constitute blanket approval for the entire programme.
The department said the organisers failed to resubmit the complete programme module for review after the panel's guidance, effectively bypassing the vetting process.
'Had the organisers complied with the conditions set in 2022, the recent incident alleged to have occurred during the eHati programme at IDCC Shah Alam would not have happened.'
The director also said the Selangor Islamic Religious Council is currently revising its guidelines on religious and spiritual programmes to ensure stricter compliance and clarity moving forward.
Meanwhile, police have also launched an inquiry paper to identify any possible criminal offences under the Penal Code related to the programme.
On July 13, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said statements would be taken to verify allegations, including claims that certain types of water used during the session caused hallucinations.
The programme's founders Diyana Tahir and Rahim Shukor have been remanded for three days for investigation, along with four others who attended the eHati Love Intensive event, and allegedly removed their clothes during the session.