Three men jailed and fined for Parit Raja worship ritual involvement

BATU PAHAT : Three men received one month jail sentences and RM2,000 fines from the Syariah Court today for their involvement in a worship ceremony linked to a viral video. Syariah Judge Syazwan Mohd Yusof imposed the sentence after Muhammad Suhail Suttrysono, 35, Azman Mohamed Seh, 45, and Anuar Bandi, 40, pleaded guilty to the charges. The court ordered an additional 14 days imprisonment if they fail to pay the fine and mandated six months of monitoring by the Johor State Islamic Religious Department after their jail terms. Muhammad Suhail, a security guard, faced charges under Section 3 of the Johor State Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997 for performing the worship ceremony. Azman and Anuar, both mechanics, were charged with abetting the ceremony by playing traditional drums under Section 43(b) of the same enactment. All three committed the offence between 10 pm and 1 am on August 10 in an open area at a house on Jalan Pasar, Parit Raja. Johor chief syariah prosecutor Ahmad Wafi Abdullah represented the prosecution while the accused were unrepresented in court. A one-minute viral video on social media showed a Kuda Kepang performance associated with the worship ritual in Batu Pahat that caused public outrage. – Bernama