BATU PAHAT: An imam and an assistant headmaster are among 14 Millah Abraham sect followers who were brought before the Syariah Lower Court today.
They face charges of defying religious authorities and possessing religious publications that contravene Islamic law.
The accused, comprising 11 men and three women aged between 30 and 70, were charged under Section 9 and 13 of the Syariah Criminal Procedure Enactment (Johor) 2003.
The charges involve disobeying religious authorities and possessing prohibited religious materials.
No pleas were recorded after the charges were read separately by the court interpreter before Syariah Judge Mohd Syahir Sahab.
If convicted, the accused face up to two years in prison or a RM3,000 fine, or both, in addition to property forfeiture and mandatory counselling sessions.
Today's proceedings were a mention to transfer the cases to the respective districts where the alleged offences occurred, in accordance with Section 67 of the same enactment.
The accused were granted RM5,000 bail with each charge, with two sureties.
Syariah prosecutor Ahmad Wafi Abdullah handled the prosecution, while the accused were not represented.
Earlier, all 14 followers were transported to the court in a Johor Islamic Religious Department van under tight security by enforcement officers and police.
According to the case facts, the accused were arrested in a special operation targeting Millah Abraham followers across several districts in the state, including Segamat, Muar, Batu Pahat, and Pontian, on Aug 1.
During the raids, 17 individuals were detained for suspected involvement with the Millah Abraham sect and were taken to the religious department for questioning.
Prior to their arrest, the religious department authorities were monitoring the spread of Millah Abraham teachings following police reports lodged on the sect's alleged activities.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the followers were allegedly attempting to propagate their beliefs to family members and the broader community.
The Millah Abraham teachings were declared heretical by the Negri Sembilan Mufti Department in 2019.
The sect's erroneous beliefs include animals slaughtered by non-sect members were 'haram', believing in a new prophet, and having a different 'shahadah'.
They also attempt to merge Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, while interpreting the Quran based on their understanding without traditional exegesis.