THREE men have pleaded guilty at the Batu Pahat Syariah Court on Saturday to charges linked to a ritual involving the controversial "kuda kepang" horse dance, after a video of the incident went viral on social media earlier this month.
The accused, Muhammad Suhail Suttrysono, 35, Azman Mohamed Seh, 45, and Anuar Bandi, 40, admitted their involvement after the charges were read out separately before Syariah Judge Syazwan Mohd Yusof.
According to the charges, Muhammad Suhail, a security guard, and Azman, a motorcycle mechanic, were accused of performing a religious ritual that contradicts Islamic law.
Anuar was charged with assisting the ritual by playing musical instruments during the ceremony. The offence took place at Jalan Pasar, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the nights of 10 and 11 August.
The charges were brought under Section 3 of the Johor Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997, which pertains to unlawful religious practices, and Section 43(b) for aiding the ritual, both of which carry a potential penalty of a fine up to RM3,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
The case was handled by Ahmad Wafi Abdullah, the Chief Syariah Prosecutor for Johor. None of the accused were represented by legal counsel.
The court granted bail of RM2,000 with two family members as sureties, all of whom reside in Batu Pahat. The court has scheduled 2 September for the presentation of case facts and sentencing.
It is understood that the accused were arrested in Parit Raja at 4 p.m. on Friday, with the seizure of incense, musical instruments, and the horse dance costume, known as kuda kepang.
Meanwhile, Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, Johor's Executive Councillor for Islamic Affairs, urged the public to report any activities believed to be in violation of Islamic law to the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) or the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ).
The viral one-minute video had shown a group of men and women performing the ritual, accompanied by gong music and chanting, with two individuals appearing to undergo possession-like symptoms. - August 30, 2025
