Corpse Bathing Incident Minister Urges Public To Let Law Take Its Course

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Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad has expressed his disapproval of citizens carrying out their own punishment on individuals suspected of committing an offence, calling it highly inappropriate.
Stressing that stealing for any reason is prohibited in Islam and offenders should be judged fairly, he said, however, the matter should be handed over to the authorities for further action.
Idris (above) also advised members of the public including mosque management not to get caught up in certain sentiments or try to take their own action that would subject individuals suspected of committing an offence to cruelty.
"The act of recording people suspected of (committing offences) to be disseminated is also very inappropriate," he said in a statement last night.
Idris called on the people to care for their neighbours and work together to prevent social problems in the area according to their respective roles in the neighbourhood.
These comments came in the wake of a widely publicised incident in which members of a mosque punished a teenager for stealing by subjecting him to a simulated "corpse bathing" ritual.
The incident was recorded on video.
The person has been identified as Daniel Iskandar, 19, and sentenced to 10 days in jail and fined RM4,000 by the Selayang Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Daniel pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to steal from the Al Islahiah Mosque in Kuang, Rawang on Jan 8.
Defence lawyer Azman Abdullah pleaded for leniency as his client claimed that he stole to buy medicine for his grandfather.
- Bernama

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