‘Prophet’ gets 10 years’ jail

SHAH ALAM: A self-proclaimed Rasul Melayu (Malay prophet) gets 10 years in jail, six strokes of the rotan and a fine of RM16,500.

Abdul Kahar Ahmad was calm when the Syariah High Court here passed the sentence.

This contrasted to the family of the 59-year-old, who hugged him and wept openly after the sentence was passed.

On Sept 24, Abdul Kahar, a father of six, pleaded guilty to five charges under the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment Act for proclaiming himself as a Malay prophet, for conducting deviationist teachings, violating the Selangor Mufti’s order, blasphemy and spreading false beliefs.

He was accused of committing the offences at No. 44, Jalan Bunga Ros in Kampung Kemensah in Hulu Klang between May 10 and June 23, 2005.

Abdul Kahar had claimed trial in August 2005 when he was charged with the five offences but over the past three years, he continued to preach deviationist teachings and played hide-and-seek with the law.

On Sept 16, he was arrested by a team of Selangor Religious Department enforcement officers in Sungai Long, Kajang, at 9.45am.

Judge Abu Zaky Mohammad said Abdul Kahar’s actions were a threat to the security of the religion, society and nation.

He said the accused’s actions were contrary to the rules.

“Although you are regarded as being ignorant and lacked education especially in Islamic laws, you should be leading a good example to the young ones,” said Abu Zaky.

The judge ordered Abdul Kahar to serve his sentence from the date of his arrest on Sept 16 and to spend the last six months of his jail term at the akidah rehabilitation centre in Ulu Yam.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) arrested a close relative of Abdul Kahar to help in the investigation of deviant Islamic teachings spread over the Internet and through SMS.

The 30-year-old man was held outside the Syariah High Court here after Abdul Kahar was sentenced.

Jais director Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi, who confirmed the arrest, said the man had posed as a reporter covering the case to avoid detection, adding that the man would be charged in the Syariah High Court here.