SPECIAL FOCUS Rock-star turned preacher man Akhil Hayy Rawa has a big following among the young but it does not impress the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais).

The department does not recognise his missionary work although he addresses packed crowds - which includes many elderly people - whether he is speaking in a hall or at an open field.

Other than being Akhil Hayy (he is seldom referred to with a single name), his league of followers calls him 'Ustaz Rock.' The young adores his style and sees him as a cross between Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp because of his film star looks.

With a scandal that broke his first marriage, his talk show on cable TV suspended and his background as a band boy, the celebrity preacher has all the ingredients of being a big draw whenever he takes the stage.

In August this year, after two years of being embroiled in gossips about his relation with TV talk show co-host Waheeda, the two married. The rocker ustad has four children from his first marriage.

His younger daughter and son attended his wedding with the actress-singer, following his sensational divorce with their mother, Maizawati Zainal.

The bad publicity also caused Astro to freeze his talk show, which provided a forum for young people to voice their youthful problems.

Waheeda (left), whose real name is Nor Wahida Abdul Wahab, was his co-host on the show, Kafe Akhil Hayy.

Raised in a family of religious teachers, he formed a band called 'D'Ryadh' in the 80s, which went on to win a 'Battle of the Bands' contest in 1988.

Much publicised speaker

The group has since disbanded and Akhil Hayy went on to carve his name as a solo act, recording mainly 'dakwah' type of music,

In the mid-90s and through the early years of the new century, he was a much publicised speaker at PAS rallies but his political leanings have since mellowed and he currently brands himself as an 'independent missioner.'

About three years ago, Jais detained him for breach of the state's Islamic administration enactment for holding a religious ceramah without its authorisation.

Following the recent controversy involving Dr Asri Zainul Abidin, Jais has received much flak for not considering to issue its 'certificate of authority' to the former Perlis mufti and other independent preachers to give Islamic teachings in Selangor.

The department is adamant on its stand and Jais director Mohamed Khusrin Munawi said Akhir Hayy is also on their list of 'unauthorised' speakers.

The one time rock artiste, 40, told a Malay news portal recently that the case just fizzled out without him being called to the court to answer charges.

No necessary qualification to preach

While snubbed by Jais, Akhil Hayy said the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) has approached him for a new programme in collaboration with Astro.

Mohamed Khusrin said in a recent statement: "We know that he is a good speaker, like many others. But he just does not have the necessary qualification of a religious teacher or preacher.

"We do not deny that he can use his influence as an artiste to draw the crowds to his talks which had been known to be sarcastic about other religious speakers and also fellow artistes," he said, adding that Jais had not received any application by Akhil Hayy to speak in Selangor since his detention by the religious authority.

Mohamed Khusrin said as far as he knew, the former rock singer does not have any religious qualification although he has been giving religious talks after leaving the entertainment world.

"We worry about speakers who are not well-qualified to speak on religion yet give the impression that they are well-versed. This could confuse those who listen to the talks.

"We do not want preachers who only talk well but have a shallow understanding of the religion and depend only on logic and reasoning in delivering their speeches," he said.

"Selangor is not the place for such speakers, more so when the person concern is involved in a matrimonial issue," he said, in an apparent reference to Akhil Hayy's relation with Waheeda, 30, that led to his first marriage falling apart.

He stressed, however, that Jais was not rejecting anyone's right to speak but insisted that they should have the certification from the department to speak in Selangor.

"We want proof from the speakers that they have some form of eligibility, such as certification or qualification in Islamic education to avoid unnecessary and unexpected problems, like bringing in elements that contradict Islamic practices in the country.

"We also have our own way of assessing whether applicants have the right qualifications to deliver religious talks," he said, adding that Jais also has its tracking mode to identify speakers who have beliefs alien to this country.

He said there is 'detailed scrutiny' to prevent speakers reaping monetary rewards from their talks and using Selangor as their goldmine.

SHAH A DADAMEAH is senior editor with the Malaysian Mirror.