KOTA BARU: A religious teacher known as “Ustaz Budak”, who was recently fined by the Syariah Lower Court for teaching without proper accreditation, is now facing further scrutiny for allegedly operating an unregistered religious school.
Kelantan Islamic and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) deputy president Datuk Mohd Anis Hussein said the council had found that Madrasah Syukriah, located in Kampung Awah, Machang, was not registered with MAIK.
He added that the council had granted the institution a grace period to submit its registration application.
“The religious school operated by the teacher is not listed in MAIK’s records. Therefore, we are giving time for the institution to apply for registration,” he said, adding that action may be taken against those who fail to comply.
Mohd Anis also reminded religious teachers and operators of religious institutions to ensure compliance with existing regulations, including obtaining proper accreditation and registering their institutions with the council.
On Wednesday, the teacher, whose real name is Syamsul Zaman Sukri, was fined RM700 by the Syariah Lower Court in Machang after pleading guilty to teaching religion without proper accreditation.
Syarie judge Fairul Azam Ismail imposed the fine following the accused’s guilty plea under Section 117 of the MAIK Enactment, which regulates accreditation requirements for religious teaching.
The 38-year-old teacher, popularly known as “Ustaz Budak”, has previously faced civil court charges on several occasions between 2020 and 2023 for offences involving gross indecency.
His most recent civil case was in November 2023, when the Kota Baru High Court upheld a 13-month prison sentence for the offence of extreme obscenity and molesting another man at a hotel in December 2020.
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