ISKANDAR PUTERI: A centre will be set up in Johor next year to rehabilitate those who have been deemed as deviant and contradict the teachings of the Islamic faith.
State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said RM400,000 has been channelled to establish the centre, which is expected to start operating fully in July 2024.
“The rehabilitation centre will not only tackle those who have veered from the right path, it will also help those convicted of committing same-sex relations or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) by the Syariah court.
“The establishment of such a centre for those found to have engaged in same-sex relations is also the first in Malaysia.
“The centre will provide them with a space to purify their faith and get back on the right path,” he told the Johor state assembly at Kota Iskandar here on Wednesday (Nov 29).
He added that the state was in the process of setting up the centre, including its office and hostels.
The rehabilitation centre would also provide awareness programmes and counseling for those in need, as well as religious programmes for Muslim converts, he said.
Mohd Fared said this in response to Abdul Aziz Talib (PN-Maharani) who asked about the state’s initiatives to help Muslims strengthen their faith.
