The 11 men and three women, between the ages of 30 and 70, were separately charged with possession of religious material that was against shariah laws and for ignoring the directives of religious authorities.

The charges were framed under Sections 9 and 13(1)(b) of the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Johor) Enactment 2003, Berita Harian reported.

If convicted, they could face up to two years in jail, a RM3,000 fine, or both, and would have to attend counselling.

No plea was recorded after the charges were read before judge Syahir Sahab. The cases will be transferred to the respective shariah subordinate courts in the respective districts where the offences were allegedly committed.

Syahir allowed the 14 accused to post bail of RM5,000 each with two sureties.

They were arrested after a special operation in several districts in Johor, including Segamat, Muar, Batu Pahat and Pontian.

The Negeri Sembilan mufti department issued a fatwa in 2019 declaring the Millah Abraham teachings as deviant.

Meanwhile, a street musician was sentenced to three months in prison by the Syariah High Court in Seremban for teaching Millah Abraham beliefs to his 16-year-old son.

Judge Zulfikri Yasoa handed down the sentence on Norasid Said, 50, who pleaded guilty to teaching the belief to his 16-year-old son.

He was charged under Section 52 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment (Negeri Sembilan) 1992, amended in 2019, with committing the offence at a house in Felda Palong 3 between 8pm and 11.59pm from June to June 30, 2023.

Syarie prosecutors Abdul Wafi Ramli, Hafiz Lazim and Nor Bazilah Abdul Basir appeared for the prosecution, while Norasid was unrepresented.

Norasid, who has three children and is currently serving a one-month jail sentence after being fined RM2,000 by the Syariah High Court for teaching the Millah Abraham doctrine to his wife last year, was ordered to serve the three-month jail sentence consecutively from the previous sentence.