Batu Caves ritual video: Youth repents publicly with family at Shah Alam mosque

SHAH ALAM, Nov 5 — A 21-year-old Muslim youth whose participation in Hindu rituals at a Batu Caves temple sparked a controversy made a public declaration of repentance today alongside his mother and younger sister, prior to undergoing court-ordered faith rehabilitation.

Reciting the Islamic declaration of faith before state religious officials at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque here, Aliff Daniel Adli renounced the Hindu and Buddhist rituals he had previously engaged in, acknowledging that his actions violated Islamic tenets and caused widespread distress.

“I once again declare that, without coercion from any party and in good faith, by uttering the words, ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’, I repent to Allah with sincere and genuine repentance,” he said during the ceremony, vowing not to repeat the acts and committing to study Islamic doctrine under qualified religious guidance.

His mother, Rohizayanti Ramli, and younger sister, Nur Ranea Ezreen Adli, made their own formal declarations of repentance, expressing regret over failing to guide and counsel him away from external influences that conflicted with Islamic teachings.

An emotional Rohizayanti admitted that parental lapses and a lack of religious grounding had contributed to her son’s misstep.

“I acknowledge all forms of negligence, carelessness and shortcomings in fulfilling my fundamental duties and responsibilities as a mother,” she said, pledging to attend religious classes and work closely with Islamic authorities to guide her son.

Nur Ranea similarly expressed remorse for not providing adequate advice to shield her brother from external influences, committing to support him through prayer, family care, and ongoing cooperation with religious bodies.

Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) chairman Datuk Salehuddin Saidin said the public ceremony was held to confirm that all three family members have genuinely repented and returned to the fold of Islam in accordance with Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah teachings, while easing community anger following the viral video clips.

“We want to demonstrate through this declaration that he has genuinely repented. Hopefully, Muslims who were initially angry or disappointed with Aliff Daniel will realise that we are all human and we make mistakes.

“We can now see for ourselves that Aliff Daniel has repented and wants to return to the teachings of Islam,” he said at a brief press conference later.

Salehuddin disclosed that the Syariah Court has ordered Aliff Daniel to undergo three months of mandatory faith rehabilitation at Pusat Pemurnian Akidah Baitul Iman in Hulu Yam, Selangor.

During his stay, he will receive structured Islamic instruction from accredited teachers, followed by long-term monitoring and pastoral guidance from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS).

The MAIS chairman expressed hope that Aliff Daniel would eventually help encourage his mother and sister to attend regular classes at their neighbourhood mosque, while urging social media users who may have been influenced by his past posts to disavow any practices that run counter to Islamic teachings.