The Selangor Islamic religious department (Jais) has denied that it approved a marriage motivation programme, which allegedly featured immoral content, organised by a company three years ago.
Its director, Shahzihan Ahmad, said a suggestion by a Jais-appointed clarification panel to include a disclaimer in the programme did not imply the department’s approval of the content or modules.
Shahzihan said the panel had obtained an explanation from eHati International Sdn Bhd on Nov 15, 2022, following complaints from participants alleging activities that violated Islamic teachings.
He said that during the clarification session, the panel was shown a video used by eHati, which included a “self-pleasure” technique for women, allegedly to strengthen marital intimacy.
The panel recommended that several aspects and approaches in the programme be revised or removed if they conflicted with Islamic law.
The company was also advised to consult religious authorities or experts to ensure full compliance with Islamic law throughout its programmes, he said.
“The organiser was instructed to include a disclaimer stating that the video was intended for use by married couples only.
“This advice was given to the organiser as a preventive measure against the inclusion of any content that contravenes Islamic law,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
Shahzihan said Jais did not approve the programme because the company had not submitted its modules to the department following the panel’s recommendations.
“Jais is confident that had the company adhered to the recommendations made by the panel in 2022, the alleged incident during the programme held at the Shah Alam Ideal Convention Centre would not have occurred,” he said.
On July 15, eHati issued a statement claiming its 2022 programme had received Jais’ approval after the company clarified the matter with the religious authority.
Before that, Shahzihan said, Jais had summoned eHati following a complaint by a former participant, who alleged that the module used in the programme was inappropriate and unsuitable.
On July 16, police confirmed that a controversial eHati marriage motivation programme held last year featured an activity involving nudity.
This follows claims by a Facebook user alleging that a female speaker, initially dressed in a bikini, had stripped naked and danced with participants during the event’s final night.
