KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Muslim preacher Zamihan Mat Zin’s lectures are now under a temporary ban in Selangor mosques, and suraus or Muslim prayer halls from today onwards, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) said.
In a letter issued by Jais director Datuk Haris Kasim, he noted that Zamihan is currently being investigated by the police under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948.
“In relation to that, since he is under the Royal Malaysia Police’s investigations, therefore Yb. Bhg. Dato’ / Sir as the administrators of mosques and suraus at the grassroots levels are ordered to TEMPORARILY SUSPEND all lectures/tazkirah that are presented by ustaz Zamihan Mat Zin effective immediately from the date this letter is issued,” Haris wrote in the letter dated today.
In the letter, Haris had identified Zamihan as the president of the Sunni Organisation Malaysia (Aswaja) and also as the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia’s (Jakim) caderisation officer assigned to the Malaysian Prison Department’s headquarters.
The letter was addressed to the managers of all mosques and suraus in Selangor, as well as all district Islamic religious administrative officers in the state.
When contacted by Malay Mail Online to verify if the letter was authentic, Haris replied: “Yes.”
Police arrested Zamihan yesterday following controversy over his Sunday video lecture in which he complained about “a sultan” who criticised a Muslim-only laundry and made what was seen as racist remarks against the Chinese whom he suggested were unclean as they allegedly did not wash after urinating and defecating.
Police were today allowed to detain Zamihan for two more days while they investigate him for sedition.
Zamihan’s lecture — which was reportedly recorded in a mosque in Shah Alam — saw him using the words “Taliban” and “Afghanistan”.
Zamihan in a statement yesterday said he had never mentioned the Sultan of Johor’s name in the video, insisting that it was impossible for him to have uttered words to insult the ruler but also went on to apologise to him over any offence caused.
Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar previously said in a published interview that Johor was not a “Taliban” state and that the laundry owner should “migrate to Afghanistan” if the latter was unhappy with a directive to end the allegedly discriminatory policy of serving Muslim customers only.
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) last night said it had called Zamihan up to seek his explanation over his remarks which allegedly criticised the Johor Sultan and confirmed that his case has been referred to its disciplinary board for further action.
