The surau at a resort in Sedili Besar, Kota Tinggi which was used by non-Muslims in a religious ceremony, is expected to be demolished after investigations on the case are completed.

Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) adviser Nooh Gadut said a decision on the fate of the building, believed to be built at a cost of more RM60,000, would be made by Johor’s Fatwa Committee in a month’s time.

“The surau cannot be demolished immediately as it is evidence in the case and is now being guarded by police and People's Volunteers Corps (Rela),” he told reporters when met at his office in Johor today.

Nooh said that his team would take over the investigations in following procedure and in accordance with Section 7A of Johor’s Syariah Criminal Enactment 1997, after the police has completed their investigations.

He added that a meeting of the state Fatwa Committee will be convened next week to discuss the case.

He said the findings of the meeting will be conveyed to MAINJ before being submitted to Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar as the head of religion, before informing the government for further action.

“The most sacred places on Earth are mosques and surau. Accordingly, they  are not allowed to be used to carry out religious activities other than for Islam and if a surau is found to have hosted other religious activities, it can be demolished based on surah At-Taubah verse 107 (in the Quran),” he said.

Circular for determining of qiblat

Meanwhile, Nooh said Sultan Ibrahim had ordered the Johor Islamic Religious Department to issue a circular in the near future for the determining of the qiblat (in the direction of Mecca for Muslims’ obligatory prayers) in every resort and hotel in the state.

He said Sultan Ibrahim said this during a meeting with the local authority  responsible for the surau case in Sedili Besar, at Istana Pasir Pelangi in Johor Baru today.

“The purpose of the circular is for operators and resort owners in the state to comply with all procedures for the construction of mosques and surau and direction of the qiblat so that problems associated with misleading qiblat and other matters will not arise again,” he said.

According to Nooh, Sultan Ibrahim also urged the investigations be conducted immediately in according to existing laws.

“In this case, the sultan is very concerned and has ordered the authorities involved to conduct a through investigation based on facts,” he said.

The owner of the resort concerned, a Singaporean with permanent resident (PR) status in Malaysia, has been remanded for four days since yesterday to facilitate investigations.

The case received wide media coverage after an 85-second videoclip of Buddhists engaged in a religious ceremony at the surau went viral on YouTube .

- Bernama