Johor denies targeting religious preachers amid accreditation checks
JOHOR BAHRU: Religious speakers delivering sermons in Johor must hold valid accreditation, and recent checks are part of routine enforcement rather than a targeted campaign, said the state's Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.
He noted that the requirement is in line with Section 11 of the Johor Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997 and applies equally to all speakers.
'This isn't about singling anyone out. The rule is clear. Anyone who wants to deliver religious talks in Johor must be accredited, with no exceptions,' he said during a visit to the family of Misnan Ahmad, a 60-year-old pilgrim who died in Makkah yesterday.
Earlier this week, a preacher was reported to have been detained by the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) for allegedly giving an unauthorised sermon at a private home in Pasir Gudang.
The 50-year-old local man was arrested on Thursday evening by JAINJ's enforcement unit, with support from the Seri Alam district police headquarters (IPD), but was released the following day.
JAINJ director Nasri Md Ali confirmed the individual will be called in again on July 3 to assist in the department's investigation.
As is standard practice, all religious speakers intending to conduct lectures in any state must obtain accreditation from that state's religious authority. In Johor, this falls under the jurisdiction of the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ).
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