Ampang surau committee lodges report, claims 'harassment' over azan, Friday prayers

The management of the Taman Seraya surau in Ampang, Selangor, has lodged police reports against an individual who allegedly objected to the sounding of the azan (call to prayer) and the holding of Friday prayers at the premises.

Separately, Teratai assemblyperson Yew Jia Haur’s service centre - which tried to mediate the dispute - said it has also lodged a police report against the person.

The issue was raised by a non-Muslim resident, claiming to represent the local community, who submitted an objection to the surau management.

Surau chairperson Abdullah Sulaiman said the issue began around 2021, but was not as aggressive as this year in targeting their religious practices.

“There is now extreme harassment where three matters were sent via WhatsApp personally by the individual; the first being the issue of the azan.

“Suddenly, another issue arose where he was dissatisfied because we hold Friday prayers. This is despite the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) accrediting us; we received permission to hold Friday prayers in 2019.

“He also requested that the Friday prayers, which have been conducted since Nov 15, 2019, be stopped because they disrupt traffic flow.

“We lodged police reports following harassment that is deemed to be motivated by issues of religion, royalty, and race,” Abdullah said during a press conference at the surau today.

According to Abdullah, 10 police reports were lodged at the Pandan Indah police station today.

He added that the surau management previously held a meeting with the individual, which was attended by religious authorities, and expected that the matter had been resolved.

Dialogue session

Meanwhile, Abdullah said Yew has taken the initiative to hold a dialogue regarding the issue.

He said the dialogue will involve the surau committee and representatives from relevant agencies, including the police and the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ).

In a statement, however, Yew’s office said the complainant took advantage of the dialogue session to circulate an unrelated document described as “meeting minutes or agenda”.

The contents of the documents were not disclosed, but purportedly contained “extremely provocative elements that could jeopardise the harmony of the local community”.

As such, Yew directed his office to lodge a police report to initiate an investigation against the individual.

The service centre urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid speculation, as efforts are underway between the assemblyperson’s service centre, the surau management, and relevant agencies to achieve an amicable resolution.

In the meantime, a dialogue session scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed upon advice from the authorities, in light of the complainant’s allegedly provocative statements.

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