JOHOR BARU, Nov 7 – Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin can hold religious talks in Johor, anytime and anywhere.

This is because the state’s regulation does not require a person to have any special credential letter or ‘tauliah’ to hold religious talks here, although he must be an accredited religious figure.

Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said every religious personality, including Mohd Asri, was welcome to organise talks in Johor.

“However, should they want to set up a public discourse or events that require mass audience, they need to get a police permit to hold the gatherings,” he told reporters after attending a Quran recital completion ceremony hosted by UEM Land Bhd here today.

Last Sunday, Mohd Asri was arrested by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council for holding religious talks in the state without any credential letter and was subsequently released.

Abdul Ghani said Johor had yet to ban any religious speaker from holding talks in the state. – Bernama