JAWI looking for 12 followers of deviant teaching

The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) is looking for 12 followers of a deviant teaching who fail to attend proceedings at the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Syariah Court.

JAWI director Paimuzi Yahya said they were charged with being the followers of the teachings of Millah Ibrahim@Abraham and had disappeared after being freed on bail since October 2014 and the courts had issued warrants of arrests against them.

He said the 12 accused were Abdul Azim Abdullah, Aizul Farikh Zainal Abidin, Zakaria Mat Kasa, Mohd Arif Abdul Aziz, Mohamad Harizal Kamarudin, Amirol Hafiz Mohd Samad, Nur Ridah Osman, Norayuni Mat Yusof, Heffy Syamsuar, Mohd Fazil Mohd Yunus, Raja Mohd Faidzul Draman and Mohd Razid Baharudin.

For those detained in a raid in Cheras must attend trial at the Syariah Court here on Nov 25 while those nabbed in Wangsa Maju must be present at the same court on Nov 30, he told a news conference here, Wednesday.

"The accused were detained in two separate raids in Megan Pheonix, Jalan Cheras on Oct 20, 2014 and in Section 1, Wangsa Maju on Nov 3, 2014," he said.

"During the raid, JAWI detained 23 suspects who were investigated under Section 4 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Act (Federal Territories) Act 1997 (Act 559) for false doctrine offences and Section 5 Act 559 for spreading religious doctrine," he told a news conference here, Wednesday.

An accused could be fined not exceeding RM5,000 or jailed not exceeding three years or caned not more than six times or punished with any combination of the punishments if found guilty under Section 4 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Act (Federal Territories) Act 1997 (Act 559) for false doctrine offences.

In addition, he said they could also be charged with offences under Section 5 Act 559 for spreading religious doctrine and could be fined not exceeding RM3,000 or jailed not more than two years or both.

He said members of the public with information on the 12 suspects could contact JAWI investigation officer Farah Wahida Zulkifli via 011-32961821 or JAWI enforcement toll free line JAWI 1-800-881771.