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A Malaysian community activist who rose to prominence campaigning against illegal Hindu temples and was arrested under the Sedition Act for remarks about the Indian community has confirmed his conversion to Islam — a faith he said he had been quietly studying for seven to eight years.
S. Chandrasegaran, known by his moniker Cikgu Chandra, released a video statement on Friday (4 Sept), confirming he had uttered the Kalimah Syahadah, the two testimonies of faith that mark entry into Islam.
He said he is currently learning to read and recite the Quran.
The conversion did not happen in a vacuum.
Cikgu Chandra built a substantial online following through aggressive, expletive-laden videos condemning illegal land encroachment and unauthorised houses of worship — campaigns that drew both widespread support and repeated legal scrutiny.
In February, he was arrested under the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act over Facebook posts that authorities said described the Indian community in terms deemed a threat to public order.
In March, masked men broke into his home in Puchong, Selangor, and set his cars ablaze.
He recorded a video from the scene, profanity intact, vowing he would not stop.
Cikgu Chandra said he required approximately six months to settle pending court cases and personal domestic matters before actively participating in Islamic community events.
What complicates the straightforward reading is the timeline Cikgu Chandra himself offered.
He said his affinity for Islam began in childhood — he grew up in Alor Setar surrounded by Muslim friends — and that he had been privately studying the religion, reading translated Quranic verses and consulting Islamic scholars for the past seven to eight years.
By his own account, the decision was forming long before the arson attack, the arrests, and the viral videos that made his name nationally known.
The first public signal came in late August, when he posted the text of the Syahadah on his Facebook page.
He declined to confirm the conversion at the time, saying he needed to protect his family.
In his video statement, Cikgu Chandra said the public would see a changed person.
He committed to improving his conduct and abandoning the unfiltered language that had defined his public image for years.
He asked for space and time to adjust.
He also requested approximately six months before participating in broader Islamic community events, citing pending domestic matters and court cases that remain unresolved.
As of this writing, those cases remain active.
The investigation into the March arson attack on his Puchong home has not concluded.
@beritapertiwi2 "Saya bersuara sebab tanggungjawab, bukan cari publisiti murahan" Aktivis, Cikgu Chandra menegaskan bahawa kelantangan beliau menyuarakan isu kuil haram bukan bertujuan untuk mencari publisiti murahan. Sebaliknya ia bagi menjelaskan situasi sebenar yang mana ramai dalam kalangan penganut Hindu sendiri tidak setuju dengan kewujudan kuil yang dibina secara tidak sah. Pautan video penuh Youtube: https://youtu.be/afqyKbDXFuI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DeMiMLLM3/
♬ original sound – TV Pertiwi
READ MORE: Masked Arsonists Burn Cikgu Chandra’s Cars, Vandalise His Home
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