Former Malaysian celebrity preacher, 31-year-old Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohd Shaiful, better known as Da’i Syed, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and three strokes of the cane after the Shah Alam High Court dismissed his rape conviction appeal.
While Syed’s wife remained calm and stated she would leave the matter to God and her legal team, the accused’s younger brother, Syed Iqbal, drew criticism from many Malaysians for a social media post on the conviction.
Da’i syed
“He sought forgiveness from Allah”
In the now-deleted post, Iqbal pointed out that before his brother was jailed, Syed had changed significantly and was diligent with his prayers.
Iqbal also mentioned that it was as if Syed had become someone else, claiming that he spent a long time praying and refrained from speaking ill of others.
“He was humble, he tried to make others happy, and constantly reminded others about the Almighty.”
The younger brother reiterated that he was not defending his elder brother for the conviction nor trying to gain sympathy, but merely reflecting his own observations of Syed’s apparent repentance. Iqbal added that while Syed smiled a lot despite his circumstances, only God knows what Syed was going through, mentally and emotionally.
Social media users, however, were displeased that Iqbal chose to highlight this matter publicly, calling it insensitive towards the victim.
“That was my personal reflection, and I am not defending him”
In an Instagram post last night (25 January), Iqbal issued a public apology over his deleted remarks, assuring the public that he is in no way protecting or defending his elder brother for his conviction.
While he acknowledged that he shouldn’t have shared his reflection publicly, Iqbal explained that he was merely sharing personal observations of his brother’s changes, which also prompted him to reflect on himself.
“I am not greenlighting his crime, and I am not denying anyone’s pain. I admit that my previous post shouldn’t have been made public, and I truly regret it.”
Iqbal stated he has now chosen to remain silent, but also reminded the public to stop threatening him and his family members.
On 10 December 2020, Syed pleaded not guilty to raping a 23-year-old woman in a condominium unit at I-City, Section 7, at about 1:35 AM on 11 September 2019. Syed had been out on temporary release since 20 September 2024, pending the completion of the High Court appeal proceedings.
