Three Men Jailed One Month, Fined RM2,000 For Involvement In Parit Raja Worship Ritual

BATU PAHAT, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- Three men were sentenced to one month’s jail and fined RM2,000 by the Syariah Court here today for their involvement in a worship ceremony linked to the viral video titled ‘Show Puja Jin Batu Pahat’, featuring the kuda kepang dance in Parit Raja last month.

Syariah Judge Syazwan Mohd Yusof handed down the sentence after the trio, Muhammad Suhail Suttrysono, 35; Azman Mohamed Seh, 45; and Anuar Bandi, 40, pleaded guilty when the charge was read out again.

The court also ordered that the three be jailed for 14 days if they fail to pay the fine and undergo six months of monitoring by the Johor State Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) after completing their jail sentences.

According to the charge sheet, Muhammad Suhail, a security guard, was accused of performing a worship ceremony under Section 3 of the Johor State Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997, which carries a maximum fine of RM3,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, if convicted.

Azman and Anuar, both working as mechanics, were charged with abetting the ceremony by playing the gendang under Section 43(b) of the same enactment, which provides for a punishment equivalent to that of the main offence.

All three were charged with committing the offence between 10 pm and 1 am in an open area at a house on Jalan Pasar, Parit Raja, on Aug 10.

Johor chief syariah prosecutor Ahmad Wafi Abdullah appeared for the prosecution, while the accused were unrepresented.

A one-minute video previously went viral on social media, depicting a Kuda Kepang performance associated with a worship ritual in Batu Pahat, causing public outrage.

--BERNAMA