A VIGILANTE group has stopped its anti-vice patrols in Kedah as police recommended that members of the Badar squad be charged with flouting the Societies Act 1966.

The squad had been operating with impunity for two years, “arresting” unmarried Muslim couples caught in close proximity (khalwat) and taking them to a cemetery for counselling.

Its activities were made known three months ago, resulting in public outcry. This led to a senior officer from the Kedah Islamic Affairs Department lodging a police report against the group.

Badar squad leader and founder Azhar Mohamad was arrested along with nine others on January 13. They were all released on bail on January 19.

Muhamed Farid Nazmi, a member of the squad’s leadership council, told The Malaysian Insight that the group will cooperate with police.

“We will adhere to (instructions by) police. All enforcement activities by the squad have been stopped until investigations and charges levelled against us are completed.”

Kuala Muda district police chief Adzli Abu Shah said the force is awaiting further instructions from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

On January 25, he said the probe into the squad has been completed, and the investigation paper sent to the deputy public prosecutor for further action.

He said police will closely monitor the group, which has been categorised as an illegal association.

“Once the deputy public prosecutor gives us the go-ahead, they will be charged as soon as possible.”

Azhar, a former serviceman, is also being investigated under the Official Secrets Act 1972 for posting internal police communications and information on his Facebook page.

In its two years of operations, the Badar squad raided budget hotels in Sg Petani, nabbing couples caught committing khalwat.

The group comprises 20 to 40 men, who would stake out budget hotels and parks almost every weekend in search of unmarried couples having illicit sex.

Azhar previously told The Malaysian Insight that the squad “caught hundreds of couples” in the past two years.

Members of the group had defended their actions, saying the raids were to “help” the state’s religious authorities, which were inefficient and lacked resources to carry out such operations.

Azhar had said the squad carried out its activities with the authorities’ knowledge, and was never stopped from conducting raids.

However, following the expose by The Malaysian Insight last November, state officials said the squad had been operating illegally and was taking the law into its own hands. – February 5, 2019.