Unregistered Madrasah In Kelantan Suspected Of Money Laundering, Under Police Watch

KOTA BHARU, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Kelantan police have confirmed receiving information indicating that several unregistered madrasahs (religious schools) in the state are being used for money laundering activities.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said based on information obtained, about half of the madrasahs in the state were not registered with the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIK).

He said police were keeping a close watch on several unregistered madrasah, pondok (traditional religious schools) and tahfiz centres to prevent misuse of funds and the spread of deviant teachings.

“This monitoring is being carried out to prevent activities, including misuse of donations or ‘saham akhirat’ (investment in the afterlife), which could potentially be used for money laundering.

“We are concerned that irresponsible parties are using religious education centres to solicit donations worth millions of ringgit under the pretext of charitable activities, which may then be misused,” he said at a press conference at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters today.

Mohd Yusoff said police had also received information that some individuals from within and outside Kelantan were willing to pay up to RM2 million to ‘invest’ in certain people claiming to have special spiritual status, or wali (a person with special closeness to Allah), in the hope of obtaining blessings and prosperity.

He said, therefore, the police were working closely with MAIK and state religious authorities to identify unregistered madrasah and monitor any cases of fund misappropriation or deviant teachings.

“I would like to advise the public to check the background of religious institutions before making any donation or contribution.

“They should ensure that the educational institution is registered with MAIK and that its teachers hold valid credentials. We do not want the public to be misled by individuals who abuse their position or title for personal gain,” he said.

He also stressed that strict action would be taken if there was clear evidence of illegal fundraising, deviant teachings, or fraudulent activities exploiting religion in the state.

--BERNAMA