Officials who let unaccredited speakers in Johor mosques will be sacked

By admin-s Last updated Mar 16, 2023

In January, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announced that all mosques and suraus in Johor are prohibited from being used for political speeches.

(FMT) – Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has instructed mosque and surau officials to ensure that speakers who deliver talks there are accredited by the state’s religious authorities.

According to Bernama, Sultan Ibrahim said committee members who allow unaccredited speakers to deliver talks in their mosques or suraus will be dismissed.

In January, Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announced that all mosques and suraus in Johor were prohibited from being used for political speeches.

Tunku Ismail, who is the Johor Islamic Religious Council chairman, also forbade any individual or politician from using mosques and suraus to discuss political issues.

Earlier this month, the Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) announced a ban on MPs, assemblymen and senators from delivering lectures in mosques and suraus.

It said Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin was upset that some politicians had given religious lectures or classes, and led Friday prayers without the council’s approval.

Other political leaders are also not allowed to speak in mosques and suraus there unless they are accredited by Maidam.

Subsequently, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said it was not an offence for politicians to give religious lectures in mosques and suras, and that leaders were obliged to speak about political Islam.