SHAH ALAM: The fate of preacher Zamihan Mat Zain's licence to give religious lectures in Selangor will depend on the outcome of the police probe into his alleged seditious statement.
Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director Datuk Haris Kasim said the department's ban against Zamihan, issued on Thursday, was temporary pending the police investigation into the preacher's lecture where he had allegedly criticised the Sultan of Johor.
Zamihan was arrested on Wednesday after a video of the talk, which was uploaded on YouTube, went viral on social media.
"We will see the outcome of the case first. If he is indeed found to have committed an offence, we cannot allow (him to continue giving lecture).
"It all depends on the probe, and see if the case goes to court as well as police's findings. I do not want to comment much because this case is still being investigated by police," he told the New Straits Times on Saturday.
Haris was answering a question on the fate of Zamihan, who was barred from preaching in any surau or mosque in Selangor, effective immediately.
It was reported that Zamihan, who is the president of Malaysia Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah Organisation (Aswaja), was arrested under the Sedition Act for speaking out against a decree by the Sultan of Johor.
He was detained at the Dang Wangi police headquarters about 3.50pm on Wednesday, before being remanded to facilitate investigation.
In a video uploaded on YouTube on Oct 8, Zamihan had allegedly spoken out Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar who had last month ordered a Muslim-only laundrette in Muar to cease its discriminatory business practice.
