Fourteen individuals, including four women, were charged in the Syariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur yesterday with spreading deviationist teachings.

Three of them - Zakaria Mat Kasa, in his 40s; Kamarudin Annuar, 48, and Johan Haruna, 40 - are charged with propagating a religious doctrine or belief of a deviant sect known as Millah Ibrahim @ Abraham at B-2-3, Block B, Jalan 2/142A, Megan Phoenix, Jalan Cheras in Kuala Lumpur between 9am and 9.25pm on Oct 20.

They are charged under Section 5 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997 which is punishable with fine of up to RM3,000 or maximum imprisonment for two years or both, if found guilty.

Eleven others are charged under Section 43 of the same law with abetment in the act by jointly participating in a programme to propagate the religious doctrine at the same place and time.

They are Mahamad Azhari Tajudin, 43, Mohd Arif Abd Aziz, 33, Amirol Hafiz Mohd Samad, 24, Abdul Azim Abdullah, 29, Anuar Zainal, 47, Aizul Farikh Zainal Abidin, 39, Mohamad Harizal Kamaruddin, 36, and Kamalia Mohamed Taib, 34.

All of them were detained in a raid by Islamic religious authorities on Monday night following information of a group propagating a religious teaching which deviated from the true teachings of Islam.

They nodded their head after the charge was read out to them before Syariah Judge Ibrahim Deris. However, no plea was recorded.

Following a request by Senior Syariah prosecuting officer Zainor Rashid Hassin, the judge allowed all the accused bail and set Nov 6 for mention to record their plea.

Ibrahim set bail of RM2,000 in one surety each for Zakaria, Kamarudin and Johan, and RM1,500 with one surety each for the others.

He also ordered all of them to surrender their passports to the court.

- Bernama