Men in the state of Terengganu who fail to attend Friday prayers without a valid reason could be jailed for up to two years, according to new laws announced by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).
Under Sharia law, imposed by the governing PAS, non-attendance now threatens fines of 3,000 ringgit (£527), imprisonment, or both, as opposed to the prior penalties which were limited to 1,000 ringgit (£176) or a six-month jail sentence.
“The strict enforcement of Friday prayer attendance in Terengganu is observed as part of the broader Islamisation effort, especially in states like Terengganu and Kelantan which are governed by PAS,” a spokesperson for Open Doors told en. “Similar provisions exist in other states like Selangor, Penang or Johor, but they are not as strict nor as strongly enforced compared with Terengganu.
