The ruler also ordered all religious lectures in mosques and surau in the state to be recorded.
PETALING JAYA: The Sultan of Selangor today revoked the religious teaching credentials of controversial preacher Zamihan Mat Zin, and ordered mosques and suraus in the state to heed two new measures to protect the image of Islam in the state.
Descibing Zamihan’s speech on Oct 7 at a mosque in Shah Alam as “racist” and saying that it “lacked manners”, a statement from the Selangor palace said Zamihan had also gone overboard in criticising the royal institution in a mosque with royal status.
Zamihan, an officer of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), had during a lecture at Masjid Diraja Tengku Ampuan Jemaah in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, criticised Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar of Johor over his ultimatum to a laundrette in Muar to close down for having a “Muslim-only” policy.
Defending the Muslim-only policy, Zamihan also made derogatory remarks about the hygiene of Chinese Malaysians. He was subsequently arrested for sedition before being released on Saturday.
In strongly-worded comments last weekend, Sultan Ibrahim called Zamihan an “empty tin can without any brains”, and ordered Johor Islamic authorities to sever ties with Jakim.
The Selangor palace today also removed Zamihan from the state’s council to vet religious preachers.
The ruler also announced two new measures: that all religious talks in mosques and suraus in Selangor be recorded, and the sound from religious lectures, other than for the azan (call to prayer) and Quranic recitation, be limited within the vicinity of the mosque.
“This prohibition is to protect the image of Islam that gives importance to the well-being of the general community,” the statement added.