ISKANDAR PUTERI – The Johor State Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) and the police are tracking down members of the Suhaini Muhammad deviant group, or better known as “Sihulk”, for allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad in a video recently.
State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the state fatwa committee had since July 2021 concluded that Sihulk’s teachings were misguided, deviant and contrary to the Islamic faith, shariah law, and religious morals.
“This viral video on Sihulk means that this deviant group still has loyal followers in this state even though it was banned two years ago. JAINJ has filed a police report regarding the video yesterday.
“This situation is very worrying…not to mention that the video can be watched freely by the younger generation,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Johor state assembly meeting here today.
Fared said the state government has identified 21 beliefs and teachings that are categorised as deviant and banned from being practised in the state.
He said among the groups and teachings gazetted as deviant, with fatwas also issued, were Hadi Minallah, Hizbut Tahrir, Syiah, Wahhabi, Kumpulan Layar Bahtera, Millah Abraham, Al-Arqam and Kumpulan Black Metal.
Recently, a video recording lasting one minute and 17 seconds went viral showing four men claiming to support Sihulk’s teachings while mentioning several verses that distort the Islamic faith.
Meanwhile, Fared said a total of 41 mosques and 68 surau throughout Johor suffered damage due to the floods that hit the state early this month, resulting in losses of about RM1.9 million.
He said the state government will provide a one-off assistance of RM20,000 to the mosques and surau involved. – Bernama, March 21, 2023
