Muslim preachers who want to give ceramah (religious talk) in Johor must get credentials from the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) before delivering religious talks in the state.

The Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said there must be something wrong with a preacher’s teachings if he was not given credentials despite being good at religious oratory and often appeared on television.

“Mirror your face first before advising others. We will prevent people without credentials from teaching Islam because deviant teachings and politically-tainted ceramah to slander and condemn others will only confuse Muslims and cause disunity,” he said.

Sultan Ibrahim said this when opening the 60th state level Quran Reciting Competition at Dataran Tanjung Emas in Muar last night.

“In the federal constitution, it is clear that Islam is under the jurisdiction of the state government and the sultan is the religious head in the respective states.

Under the law on the formation of the Johor state government in 1895, it is clearly stated that the sultan is the head of Islam in the state.

- Bernama