The ruler also ordered the Johor Islamic department to cease all ties and communication with Jakim.
He said Zamihan’s style of speaking was vain and conceited “as though only he was right and could deride other cultures”.
“I consider him to be merely an empty tin can without any brains,” Sultan Ibrahim said at the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia’s convocation ceremony in Batu Pahat.
On Oct 11, Zamihan, who is Persatuan Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah (Aswaja) president, was arrested and remanded for two days for investigations into a talk he gave at a mosque in Shah Alam on Oct 8 in which he apparently supported the operators of the “Muslims-only” laundrette in Muar, Johor and Kangar, Perlis.
It was reported that Jakim had referred Zamihan to its disciplinary board following his alleged criticism of the Johor ruler during the religious talk.
Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said Jakim took a serious view on Zamihan’s statements in the video of the talk uploaded on YouTube, and agreed there were hints of criticism aimed at Sultan Ibrahim.
He also confirmed Zamihan was a Jakim officer in the home ministry, and was currently serving at Kajang Prison. Zamihan had denied he was with Jakim, after initial reports on his talk were published.
Sultan Ibrahim was quoted by Sinar Harian as saying today that Zamihan had lied when he tried to deny he had criticised the sultan.
“It seems like this ustaz is clever in lying too. Don’t you make tall tales with me. After this, just deliver your speeches in front of the mirror, to get to know your own self.
“If he really is a Jakim preacher, I have no idea how Jakim selected him,” the Sultan said, adding that the Johor Islamic department need not deal with Jakim anymore.
He said Jakim also did not need to give its views to Johor, as all matters pertaining to religion came under the state as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, with the sultan as the head of Islam in the state.
Referring to the controversial move by a laundrette operator in Muar to impose the Muslim-only policy, he said muftis and religious experts had issued their views and arguments on the matter.
“However, unfortunately there was a preacher named Ustaz Zamihan Mat Zin who criticised my action and belittled the experts and muftis,” Sultan Ibrahim said.
On Sept 27, Sultan Ibrahim had reprimanded the owner of the Muar laundrette, telling him to operate his business in Afghanistan if he wanted to continue with such a policy.
On Oct 10, the Malay Rulers issued a statement condemning the Muslim-only policy and other controversies related to hardline Islamists, saying such acts went “beyond all acceptable standards of decency”.