Jais to charge 21 followers of deviationist cult

The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) will prosecute the 21 followers of the deviationist cult group Islam Jamaah (IJ), who include six Indonesians and two Bangladeshi, who were caught at a surau in Sungai Tangkas, Kajang last Friday.

JAIS director Datuk Mohamed Kushrin Munawi said they would be charged at the Kajang Syariah Court tomorrow with performing Friday prayers without permission, and with following an iman who had no accreditation from the state religious authorities.

“The suspects, aged between 29 and 50, had performed Friday prayers without meeting the quorum of at least 40 people, and where the sermon was in Arabic and taken from their own collection of books, instead of following the text from Jais,” he told a media conference here today.

He said they would be charged under sections 12 (c) and 13 (1) of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment for violating the fatwa (edict) of the Selangor Fatwa Department.

They would also be charged under section 97 of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment for using an unauthorised building to perform Friday prayers.

Kushrin also said Jais was looking for the leader of the group, identified as Abdul Wahab Jantan, 41, who is believed to be in Solo, Indonesia.

He said the department had been monitoring the activities of the group since last year.

“We believe there are about 1,000 IJ followers who are still active in the state and operating at Sungai Tangkas in Kajang, Padang Jawa and Sungai Udang in Klang, Bagan Hailam, Port Klang and Bandar Baru Hicom, Shah Alam,” he added. — Bernama