Preacher detained for allegedly giving lecture without accreditation in Johor
JOHOR BARU: The Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) detained a man yesterday for allegedly delivering religious lectures without accreditation.
The preacher, 50, was arrested at 8.30pm by JAINJ's enforcement unit at a private residence in Pasir Gudang, with assistance from officers of the Seri Alam police district headquarters.
JAINJ director Nasri Md Ali said the preacher is being investigated under Section 11 of the Johor Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997 for preaching without accreditation.
"He was conducting a 'ceramah' before a small group at someone's home, which is used daily for religious sessions after maghrib and subuh prayers," he said.
The lecture was also livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, though the videos have since been removed.
"He is now under investigation. His unauthorised 'ceramah' were raised in the council meeting earlier this month and flagged for immediate action by the accreditation committee," said Nasri.
"This is not the first time the preacher has been caught.He was previously detained in 2016 for a similar offence. In 2020, we attempted another raid, but he escaped during the session. This is the third time action has been taken against him."
Nasri reminded all religious speakers to obtain accreditation from the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) before delivering sermons, in line with the requirements enforced in all states.
Earlier, celebrity preacher Ustaz Abdullah Khairi uploaded a two-minute, 57-second video of the arrest, which went viral on social media.
He questioned the grounds for the detention and what offence was committed by the preacher, who goes by the moniker "Tok Ku Pasir Gudang".
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