JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 28 — The Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) and the police have been ordered to immediately probe and take action on a viral video related to a Kuda Kepang performance believed to contain non-Islamic practices in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, recently.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state government views the matter seriously as the video will cause public unrest and could affect the faith of Muslims if not curbed.
“All forms of superstition, sorcery, wrongful worship or rituals that contradict Islamic law are strictly prohibited and can be subject to action under the Johor Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997.
“Islam is a religion that calls for harmony, peace and mutual respect among human beings. Every Muslim is responsible for safeguarding the faith which is the main foundation of religious life.
“Therefore, the state government will not compromise with any party that threatens the harmony and sovereignty of Islam as enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” he said in a statement today.
The menteri besar was responding to a widely circulated social media video that contained questionable and supernatural acts during a Kuda Kepang performance.
Onn Hafiz reminded the public that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim and the Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail, have also called on religious institutions and authorities to strengthen enforcement and education to protect Muslims from heretical teachings.
He also called on all village heads, community leaders, mosque activists and related agencies to work together to ensure that such deviant activities cease in order to preserve the harmony and sovereignty of Islam in Johor.
Yesterday, a one-minute video featuring a group of men and women gathered at a Kuda Kepang performance that had ritual acts was circulated on Facebook and TikTok.
In the video, two men appeared to be in a temporary trance, lying on top of each other as the performance was ongoing in the background.
The Javanese-derived Kuda Kepang performance is common in Malaysia, often featured in tourism efforts to showcase Johor’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.
It remains popular in Batu Pahat and other areas with significant Javanese communities, where a purer form of the dance is performed — sometimes fused with religious elements.
However, religious authorities maintain that such performances are not part of Islamic practice and have clarified that they are cultural, not religious, in nature.
