A Malaysian Shiite organisation is set to bring its concerns about the religious persecution of Shiites in the country to the United Nations next week in Geneva, when the UN conducts its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights for all 192 of its member states.

This 17th session is from Oct 21 to Nov 1.

NONEMuhammad Sajad Hussain (left) from the As-Sajjad Movement will be going to Geneva along with many other Malaysian NGOs and will attempt to voice his grouses about alleged human rights violations against Shiites here on the sidelines of the UPR review.

"In the past two months alone, 16 people (Shiites) have been arrested. Our community centre in Gombak was also raided and the authorities even took away the fund money the centre had kept for community works," Muhammad Sajad said during the coalition of Malaysian NGOs on the UPR process (Comango)'s briefing session this morning.

Hussein went on to state that while other religions in the country were still allowed to practice their religion despite controversies such as the 'Allah' ruling, Shiites are finding it difficult to even practise their religion.

"If we are not Muslims, then we could easily practice our own religion at least. But now, even in mosques, we are facing problems to pray. So we are having problems even practicing our religion," he said.

NONEHe said that even the children are not being spared as a consequence of the government's sudden clampdown on Shiites which began shortly after the elections in May.

"The children are being verbally abused in schools by other kids," he said.

The government previously revealed that 16 arrests were made and 120 inspections made in connection to Shiite teachings in the country.

The government has previously banned Shiites in the country from promoting their teachings.

Most Malaysian states have also gazetted a ban of Shiite teachings.

Despite being the sole representative of his movement, Muhammad Sajad will be accompanied by at least six other NGO and Bar Council members who will also be going to Geneva, where they would have a panel presenting their views on human rights in Malaysia during a side-event at the UPR process.

The Malaysian government's report to the UN ahead of the UPR also made no specific mention about the Shiites in Malaysia and their predicament.

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